Pork Drunk

I Dream of Mexico City and Vertically-Spinning Pork

2011-05-13T14:23:00.001-05:00

Yes, I do. I dream of Mexico City, walking down the streets, drinking cervezas and tequila and margaritas on ice, eating from taco stands and street vendors. The one type of place though that highlights the dream is a taqueria that has a rotisserie in a big window and spinning on the rotisserie is a big body of pork.

The rotisserie is vertically set and a hot flame sears and cooks the pork as it slowly rotates. Set atop of the rotisserie is pineapple, the heat of the flames releases the juices of the pineapple and it leaks down onto the pork flavoring it with its sweet taste. The taquero, the guy who makes the tacos, thinly shaves the pork from the spit and into his tortilla-covered palm, cilantro and onions are added and you have Taco al Pastor.

These types of taquerias are found all over the states of Mexico and in the US as well. The recipe for al Pastor has been a kept secret. Chefs do not share it, the recipe remains in the family. You can find versions on the internet and all have different seasonings etc...In its most basic form, al Pastor is pork, pineapple, and dried peppers.

This particular recipe, coming from a grilling expert Steven Raichlen and his book Planet Barbecue, and from a fantastic blog Denver on a Spit: Tacos al Pastor at Home, I've tried several times and is without a doubt, the best taco al pastors I've had. I haven't been to Mexico City or any other Mexican state so I am no expert, but my taste buds aren't lying to me, this is some good sh*t!

Most people, if not all home cooks, don't have space or the daily need for a vertical, flaming spit. Raichlen suggested grilling the pork and pineapple on a hot grill. But first, you need to marinade that pork. You'll need:

3lb pork loin
4 ounces guajillo chiles, seeded, deveined, soaked in hot water for 1 hour
1 cup of chile-soaking liquid
1/4 cup white vinegar
3 tomatillos
2 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon anise
1 teaspoon dried thyme

After the chiles are done soaking, chop and add to a blender with all other ingredients. Blend until smooth. After a few runs on this recipe, I cut back on the chile liquid to a half cup. I wanted more of a paste texture instead of a watery texture.

Raichlen suggests cutting the pork into thin strips. This is a hard task to do. First, I had freezing the pork for 30 minutes to make slicing easier but that didn't turn out so well. This time I just decided to cut half inch steaks to ensure even grilling on the pork. Cover the pork in the marinade and set in fridge for 4-6 hours or overnight.

The guajillo peppers really give it a vibrant red color as you can obviously see. I stuck my nose damn right in the bowl, closed my eyes, and took a big sniff. Ahh! I knew I'd be eating well soon.

Meanwhile, prep your grill and get the coals nice and hot. Slice your pineapple, white onions, and cilantro. Set aside.

I grilled the pork loin steaks for about 4-5 minutes a side over direct heat. It smelled awesome!

Let the pork rest a few minutes and grill the pineapple slices and warm up the tortillas. Pineapples can grill for about 3-5 minutes a side based on temp of grill.

You can make salsa or guacamole to add to taco but I opted not to. I wanted to taste the pepper, the seasoning, and sweetness of the pineapple. And yes, it was fantastic. I chopped the pork into strips instead of a thin slice like the taquiera. To me, it snuggles into the tortilla well and it is easy to handle.

I garnished the taco with cilantro, onion, and queso frecso. Oh mamacita was it good. Yes, it has a different appearence from the way a taquero would make it but for city house in Milwaukee, I'll take it.

The sweetness of the grilled pineapple, the crunch of the onion, and the guajillo pepper marinade makes it al Pastor and it made it muy delisiouso. The sweetness did not over-power the salted-spiced up pork, it was just perfect. The marinade was the real winner though. All the ingredients combined together, allowed to sit overnight, flavors melding together and forming, really turned the pork loin into something amazing. I understand why cooks and families in Mexico have guarded their al Pastor recipe.

Again, this is what I love about Mexican food, it is simple yet the flavors slap you in the face. This recipe will remain in my collection forever and I will continue to make Tacos al Pastor forever. It is a simple recipie but it will take time and effort to perfect it. Steven Raichlen provided a big first step in that effort and that empty space in the corner of my kitchen may provide the second step, housing a vertical rotisserie! No, I'm kidding but wouldn't that be awesome?

Enchiladas esta Noche!

2011-04-28T18:58:00.015-05:00

Enchilada literally means in chile, the enchiladas are dipped into a red chile sauce to concentrate the chile flavor into the tortilla. The tortillas are not baked in the oven, they are lowered into hot oil to make them pliable, then dipped into the sauce, the fillings are layered, and then the enchilada is rolled up and served right away. This is the Mexican way of making enchiladas!

The weather has been a real downer of late here in Milwaukee so I thought preparing and eating Mexican, food I typically over-indulge in, the summer, would lift my spirits. I've always had enchiladas at Mexican restaurants but have only made them once before. I got inspiration from the latest edition of Saveur magazine and their article on Mexican cooking. Making enchiladas won't bring the sun out but it at least puts my mind at ease.

I headed to the southside of Milwaukee to El Rey Supermercado to buy quality Mexican ingredients. You will need:

8 dried New Mexico chiles

1 ounce Mexican chocolate, chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

4 saltine crackers or 2 1/2 tablespoons of bread crumbs

1 clove garlic

1 whole clove

To make the red chile sauce, start out by heating up the dried chiles on a skillet. Cook until fragrent. This should take about 4-5 minutes. It deepens the flavor of the sauce.

Add the chiles to a blender along with chocolate, oregano, cinnamon, garlic, clove, bread crumbs, and 1 1/2 cups of boiling water. Let the ingredients steep for 5 minutes and then puree until smooth.

I love putting my face right above the blender and smell in the hot fumes of the sauce, all the separate ingredients hit my nose. I can pick out each one. Oh yes!

Drain the sauce into a bowl through a fine sieve.

Add the sauce to a pot and add a tablespoon of oil and cook over medium heat, constantly stirring until the sauce thickens. Set aside.

What better filling for an enchilada than pork right? There are many ways you can cook the pork to add as a filling and many types of cuts of pork but my favorite is to slow-cook pork shoulder. I cooked a 3 lb pork shoulder, seasoned with salt - pepper - garlic powder - Mexican spice for 8 hours. The pulled pork fits well in the cigar-shaped rolled up tortilla. Damn, look at that bowl of pork!

Instead of dipping the tortillas in hot oil, I opted for a healthier method. I cooked the tortillas on a skillet until pliable and set aside. Too much oil tastes too greasy for me. Make sure you get good tortillas. I got store-bought rather than make my own and the tortillas weren't the great of quality, they tended to tear when rolled. I really hate when that happens.

Dip the tortillas into the red sauce until coated and transfer to a plate, add pork filling and roll up like a cigar. Sprinkle queso fresco on top of enchiladas and add sliced onions.

You can add different types of filling along with the pork if you want, cheese, onions, cilantro, etc...I went for a simple version. Yes, the enchiladas were very tasty. The red chile sauce adds a lot of depth to the dish. You can really notice the hints of cinnamon and clove. I'm not the biggest fan of the taste of clove but I'm getting more used to it. It is a staple ingredient when making moles and sauces so I wanted to include it. The Ibarra chocolate is there too although more subtle than the other ingredients.

The pork was a real winner and the queso fresco always makes a dish better. My only problem were the tortillas. Perhaps I bought an old batch, one that was sitting on the shelves too long. I would recommend making your own if you have the time.

Last note: These aren't Gringo enchiladas, they are packed with real Mexican flavor. Go get 'em!

Iowa - Fried Pork Tenderloin

2011-04-18T12:33:00.000-05:00

If you ever find yourself at a truck stop in Iowa, you'll most definitely find fried, breaded pork tenderloin. It tastes as good as it is easy to make. Like most popular foods from a certain area, there are controversies on what is the correct way to make it, season it, bread it, so on and so on. The tenderloin lends itself to be experimented on but anyway you make it, you will be in for a delicious ride.

The cut of pork brings up a heated conversation too. Traditionally, pork tenderloin is used but it can also be created using boneless pork chops. But the main thing you want to do, is bang that pork silly and pound it out thin. I butterflied a section of pork tenderloin, placed it between sheets of plastic film and walloped it with a small cast-iron skillet.

I pounded the tenderloins to about a half inch thick but you certainly can pound it thinner. Make sure to achieve even thinness for equal cooking.

Another debatable topic is the breading of the tenderloins. Some use mashed-up crackers, others use cornmeal. I like the crunch of yellow cornmeal so I used that to bread the tenderloin. Soak the pork in milk and coat it with cornmeal, flour, salt, and pepper.

Get a cast-iron skillet nice and hot and add oil. You can also deep fry it but I fried it is some shallow oil, three minutes on each side until it gets nice and brown and crispy.

Toppings for the breaded tenderloin is also up for much experimentation but I went with what seems to be the traditional route, lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise, topped with pickles.

Get a nice, soft bun and stack it, starting on the bottom: tenderloin - tomato - lettuce - pickles - mayo.

Since the breading adds a layer to the pork, I see I could have pounded the tenderloin thinner. You will see in Iowa that the pork can be two to three times the size of the bun! So feel free to make it any size you want.

In Iowa, they don't call this a sandwich, they simply call it Tenderloin because everyone knows what you are talking about. But damn, this sandwich is real tasty and very satisfying. Crispy breading on the outside, succulent pork on the inside, oh baby! The tomato and lettuce adds that garden freshness and the tang from the mayo and the vinager bit from the pickles pulls the flavor all together. You'll be banging tenderloins all day because people will not want to stop eating them, I'm serious.

The fried pork tenderloin is so easy to make and yet the taste is so big. I've been thinking about sandwiches since I saw the latest edition of Savuer Magazine, the sandwich issue. Check it out if you haven't. It has a ton of mouth-watering photos on sandwiches from everywhere. The Iowa fried, breaded pork tenderloin can easily match up with the sandwiches you see in that magazine.

I'm going to have another one! Thanks Iowa.

Baseball Brats - Usinger's vs Johnsonville - Milwaukee Style

2011-04-11T10:26:00.000-05:00

Major League Baseball is here and underway. I've been watching a lot of Brewers games and reading boxscores. Great weekend series win by the Crew over the Cubs was made sweeter by indulging into my favorite baseball pastime, grilling brats.

Yes, this is my third post on bratwurst but I like to share my love for them. In Wisconsin, two bratwurst-making companies stand tall, Johnsonville and Usinger's. Both are great, both are fabulous and while listening to Bob Uecker and the Brewers on the radio, I decided to decide which brat is better. Truely a tough call.

It began in 1945, when Ralph and Alice Stayer opened up a butcher shop named after their hometown of Johnsonville. Today, Johnsonville is one of the most popular sausages and is available all over the U.S. and in 30 countries.

Usinger's have been making sausages for 125 years. It is located on Milwaukee's Old World Third St, the original site of the store. Usinger's slogan states it all, "America's Finest Sausage."

Both sausages are made with pork and seasoned with fine spices. While Usinger's sausages are a little longer than Johnsonville's, Johnsonville brats contain a great juicy flavor.

These brats are delicious enough to eat without condiments but sausages are perfect hostesses to adding mustard, sauce, or sliced vegatables. For me, I'm combining sauerkraut with Secret Stadium sauce and Koops' spicy brown mustard and Koops' Dusseldorf mustard.

To achieve the juiciest brats, I am grilling them low and slow on the indirect side of the grill. No flare ups, no bursting of the casing, just slow cooking while I listen to the game on the radio. The brats took about 45-50 minutes on the indirect grill.

To height the pleasure factor of this test, I choose to include Pretzel Buns from Miller Bakery in Milwaukee. Those buns just look oh so perfect.

The brats are done, the kraut is resting, the Brewers are winning, lets eat!

For the Usinger's brat, I placed it on the pretzel bun, added the sauerkraut, and squeezed some Dusseldorf mustard on it.

The spicy brown mustard is a perfect match for the Johnsonville. Secret sauce-flavored kraut also is must add to the bun.

The verdict of the Baseball brats:

The Usinger's brat was a juice explosion. Yes, the chin was covered in runny, juicy brat goodness. Cooking it a low temp held in all the flavor. The seasoning of the ground pork gives it that old world flavor. The brats are sold fresh so it leaves the shop within days. It is not frozen and that quality really comes out.

The Johnsonville is a shorter brat but packed full of bratwurst power. Snappy, crunchy texture from the casing combined with the tender, fatty pork lends iself for an amazing bite. The spice of the horseradish in the brown mustard also highlights the seasoning of the sausage.

Both wursts are top notch and it is hard to pick a winner. I tried each bratwurst sans bun and condiments and Usinger's had better flavor but the Johnsonville brat really shined with my additions. The sentimental favorite goes to Johnsonville as I grew up eating them. I learned how to grill brats by grilling Johnsonvilles. I love them brats. But this test is about taste and quality. I chose Johnsonville in a slim margin.

What won me over was the total package. Quality pork, great seasoning, juicy inside, snappy outside, great on its own or with condiments, it really is "heaven on a bun."

Decide for yourself, go the store and fire up some bratwurst, taste Wisconsin at its finest.

Buy Johnsonville.

Buy Usinger's.

Love them brats!

Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly (Thit Heo Kho Tau)

2011-04-08T13:34:00.000-05:00

Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly with Egg, Fried Tofu and Coconut Juice

Vietnamese food, for me, is a new thing but I've loved everything that I've had. I hope I represented this dish well as I don't want to disrespect it. I need more practice making Vietnamese food and I'm not the best braiser of meats in the world either but I gave it a go anyway.

Start out with:

2 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
2 shallots, chopped fine
green bell pepper
fried tofu, quartered

For the braising liquid:

3 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons light soy sauce

1.5 tablespoons dark soy sauce

2 star anise

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons of palm sugar or dark brown sugar

1 can of coconut juice

1.5 cups of water

Brown the pork belly on all sides and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pot, hot enough to fry the aromatics and caramalize the sugar. Add the shallots, garlic, pepper and star anise. Cook until fragrant. Add the sugar and stir for a few minutes. Add the fish sauce, water, coconut juice, soy sauces, as well as the pork belly and fried tofu.

Braise for a few hours until the pork belly is tender. I braised for about 1.5 hours with the lid partially covering the pan.

Meanwhile, heat some oil in a pan. Poke holes into the hard-boiled eggs with a toothpick to prevent any blowups when you fry the eggs. Pan-fry, not deep fry, the eggs on all sides. Be careful of hot oil splashes. Set aside when done.

When the pork belly is done braising, let it rest on a board to cool. Cut the belly into slices and arrange on a plate or bowl. Drizzle with the pan sauce and serve with cilantro, chopped green onion, and steamed Jasmine rice.

The dish definitely had a lot of flavor. The star anise was not over-bearing at all but you could not ignore its presence. But I think that is a good thing. I loved the hard-boiled fried eggs. I will be cooking these a lot more now. They added a creamy, pillowy texture to the dish. The tofu soaked up all the good sauces and paired well the green peppers. I've never combined tofu and hard-boiled eggs and pork together before but it really works.

I will admit that I over-cooked the pork belly a bit. It was drier than I would have liked. The pork wasn't super tender and buttery but it still worked for me. Need to practice more braising!

All in all, I really enjoyed the Vietnamese-inspired braised pork belly.It had different flavors and combinations I haven't tried before. I will give it a professional try when I see it on a menu next time I'm in a Vietnamese restaurant.

Pad Ped Moo - Thai stir fry

2011-04-06T12:10:00.000-05:00

Pad means stir fry and any type of Pad Thai is perfect for the grab-and-go. You can find pad thai sizzling in woks on the streets on Thailand. Cooked very hot and very fast, it is a popular food for street food vendors.

It has been a busy March (sorry, no posts.) so a quick yet satisfying dish was needed. Pad Ped Moo is made with belly pork, Thais tend to use many parts of the pig and the fatty part of pork belly makes the dish. The hot wok will sear the pork and render the fat quickly, cooking the pork in its own fat. You know that sounds tasty.

Many types of vegatables can be used to accompany the pork belly. I went with peppers and beans. Feel free to use Thai peppers but I stayed away from using them. They are great peppers but I had a situation once where I ate a whole one in one bite and due to the extreme hotness, I basically passed out for 20 minutes. I'm sure the beers aided in me taking a little nap but I couldn't take the heat.

1 lb pork belly, small dice (freeze for a bit to make dicing easier)

2 cups of Chinese long green beans, cut into bits
1/2 cup green bell peppers, sliced
1/2 cup Thai red peppers, sliced
2-3 cloves of garlic

3 tablespoons red curry paste
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon Palm sugar or dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt and pepper

Add pork belly to the hot wok and sear until the pork turns brown. Add the red curry pastes and mix.

Then add the fish sauce, garlic, sugar, chilis/pepper.

Stir fry for a few minutes to combine flavors.

Garnish with chopped green onions and coriander and serve over streamed Jasmine rice.

The dish had really great flavor. It would taste very different if another type of pork was used. I'm a big fan of pork belly, nice layer of fat, meat, and skin. Cooked right and you will get crispy skin and moist, fatty meat. Combine it with snappy pepper and beans and you have a great pad ped moo.

I love the flavors of Thai food and though it doesn't take much to cook and prepare this dish, it doesn't disappoint in any way. Any time I get roasted meats combined with rice, I am a happy man. More Thai food on the way.....

Sonoran Hot Dogs

2011-02-24T15:51:00.000-06:00

Today, the Sonoran hot dog can be found in Tucson, Arizona. Everywhere to taco stands/trucks/carts to popular places like El Guero Canelo. But it originally comes from Tucson's neighboring state, Sonora, Mexico. "Tex Mex" food made its way across the border in the 1940s when that style of cuisine was popping up in bordering cities. From there, the Sonoran hot dog took form.

Obviously, hot dogs are made differently in large cities across the US. The prepartion of the hot dog symbolizes and characterizes a town. Chicago-style dogs, piled high with relish, sport peppers, sliced tomato, Coney Dogs in Detroit, featuring bean-less, meat-filled chili with onions and yellow mustard. In Arizona, the Sonoran dog reigns supreme.

Perhaps you have seen food television shows like Man vs. Food and Food Wars that have showcased the hot dog. The Sonoran looked so good I had to try it. Hopefully, one day I can make it to the streets of Tucson to try one.

A common trait for all Sonoran hot dogs is the bacon. Bacon is wrapped around the dog and sauted until crispy and crunchy.

They use mesquite-smoked bacon in Arizona but any type will do if mesquite-smoked bacon is not available.

The variations come from the types of condiments. The Sonoran packs a lot of condiments into the bun but all work well together and complete the Tex-Mex profile.
Condiments include:

Pinto beans
chopped tomatoes
chopped onion
shredded cheese
yellow mustard
mayo
jalapeno/green chile sauce
bolillo bun

Make an insert into the bolillo bun and scrape out some of the bread.. It should look like a canoe. Layer the ingredients in this order:

bacon-wrapped hot dog
beans
tomatoes
onions
cheese
stripes of mustard, chile sauce, mayo

Wow, what a hot dog. So many flavors all working amazing together. Fresh ingredients from the tomatoes and onions make it seem healthy while the mustard-mayo-chile sauce work with the cheese to create a creamy top. Then you make it down to the smoky, salty crunch of the bacon....oh, it all just comes together.

It is a somewhat messy hot dog with toppings falling off but come on, its a hot dog. Get messy and don't wipe your face until you are done. This hot dog needs a full delivery to your face. Ha!

Next time I will look for a more quality bolillo bun. This particular bun was not as fresh as I would liked. It was a little on the hard side. A more fresh, pillowy bolillo would have taken this hot dog to new levels.

I love me some Chicago-style dogs but this dog is tough to top.

Good Rockin' Tonight - After Bar Burger

2011-02-10T22:25:00.003-06:00

Hamburgers are a staple in this country as all Americans know but more and more 'gourmet' burgers or 'non-traditional' burgers are becoming popular. You see them displayed on food shows, piled high with unlikely ingredients that seem to work. You see shows that promote burger challenges, and you see television commericals advertising McDonald's or Burger King all the time.

I rarely make burgers, I'm not sure why, maybe because they are readily available anywhere, anytime, anyhow. But I like a burger that is 'non-conformist, countercultural' if you will. In my recent trips to Las Vegas, they have been burger bars that have opened up offer these type of burgers. Far from your sliced pickle and melted cheese. I'm a fan of a California burger, sliced avocado or guacamole on top of a grilled burger as well as inventive stuffed burgers. I've made jalapeno popper stuffed burgers to jumbo shrimp burgers to salsa stuffed burgers before much to people's delight. So when I first read about this burger, I had to try it.

The article came from the most unlikely of sources. I was coming home from Las Vegas and purchased Runner's World for the plane ride. A writer wrote about a post-run meal he had in Boston Mass. It was a sloppy, sluggy, drunk food type of burger but it got my attention. I had to try it. One historic and iconic celebrity/musician was a big fan of this type of sandwich/burger, Elvis Presley. I love me some Elvis, hip-shaking rockabilly and fat, diamond-studded Vegas Elvis. He loved his banana-bacon beef sandwich.

It is a total after bar, "I'm wasted, need food" endeavor. It emcompasses saltiness, nuttiness, smoky-ness, beefy-ness (spelling?), overall GOODNESS, a total meal with a beer or aiding in soaking up many beers. HA! I removed the banana and prepared what the writer of a Runner's World editorial was so in love with....Peanut Butter Bacon Burger!

Ah yes, soak it up, think about it, it makes perfect sense, stoner's food delight! Hits on all nasty levels, throw out the diet for one self-indulgent meal. Yes, that's what it is. Tell Grandma you love her because after this, everything is different, nothing will ever be the same. (A little over-dramatic, don't you think?)

Adjust your recipe to how you like it or want it (after those beers).

Crispy bacon, I used strips but if you can get slab bacon for bigger cuts, go for it
heaping pile of peanut butter, soften it up in microwave for 30 seconds
ground beef to make burger, I used mixed ground beef and pork, seasoned of course
mayo, optional, for the spread on the bottom of the bun
grilled bun, need that crunchy, crispy bread
more beer, if you aren't too drunk all ready, "Please, don't drink and drive."

Since it is winter and subzero outside and that I winterized my grill (sadness), I cooked the burger on a grill pan. Toast your bun then add peanut butter to top of burger, pile bacon on top of peanut butter, slather mayo on the bottom bun, put it all together and take note. Elvis was doing this back in the 50s. Elvis loved his banana, bacon burger. God Bless the King!

The bun was toasted in the bacon fat. Damn, I could just eat the bun alone. So nice....

The burger was so right on all levels. Perhaps at first sight or first read, peanut butter with bacon and beef may not seem fantastic, but it seriously works real well. The mayo in addition to the peanut butter provides creaminess but doesn't distract from the overall flavor. It could be omitted if you don't fancy mayo but I think it adds to the burger.

The peanut butter gives it a nutty flavor but it isn't as prominent as you would think. It takes on the role of ketchup or mayo, a supporting actor in comparison, important to the film but doesn't take the lead. I've had peanut butter sauces in dishes before and this works the same way, you notice the flavor but it doesn't overpower or complicate the main ingredient.

I slightly over-cooked the bacon to my liking but it added my necessary crunch to a plate, the salty/smokiness of the bacon complemented the other flavors.

I like my burger medium rare to rare as I cooked it 3 minutes a side on the grill pan. It was quite juicy so the juicy, peanut buttery, salty goodness was dripping down my chin.

Obvious note....this is not the most healthy meal but when you need some grub after a night of drinking or hanging at the pub with your friends, healthy foods may not cut it. A juciy burger will definitely suffice. Add some interesting ingredients and it will nourish your spinning mind.

Elvis certainly knew good music, after having this burger, I can't question his appetite.

This was also a great way to celebrate the Pork Drunk blog's two year Anniversary!

Super Bowl Champs!

2011-02-06T23:28:00.001-06:00

(my) GREEN BAY PACKERS SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS !!!!!!

Dublin Coddle

2011-02-01T18:20:00.000-06:00

Coddle is a traditional Irish dinner dish that dates back three hundred years. It is a staple meat and potato, one-pot meal. The name of the dish comes from a French word caudle which means to "boil gently or stew." But with the Irish, coddle is about cooking at a low temperature for a long time. Throw it in a pot, in the oven, head to the pub, have some pints, return home hours later for warm meal.

The dish is comprised of simple ingredients: pork sausages, bacon, onions, and potatoes. The only seasonings are salt, pepper, and parsley. Water or a ham stock is added to the pot to braise and stem the ingredients over time, it also creates a gravy.

Irish bacon is different from American bacon. The bacon comes from the back of a pig, not from the pork belly. It is often called back bacon. Mostly the bacon is boiled and does not take on a crispy texture. If you can't obtain Irish bacon, use bacon that is not sweetened by maple or sugar. The best is to use bacon ends or trimmings from the pork belly.

Due to lack of seasonings, spices, I would recommend browning the bacon and pork sausages adding color and additional flavors to the pot.

Instead of using strips of bacon, chop up the bacon ends or get some slab bacon and cut into chunks. Good, quality pork sausage is also important too.

Baking potatoes work well for coddle. Cut them into big chunks as well. I decided to cut my onions into rings. Finely chop the parsley.

Start by browning the bacon ends and then follow with the pork sausages. During this time, bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.

Layer the onions down first then the bacon.

Top the onion and bacon with the pork sausages and then the potatoes. Pour in the 2 cups of boiling water, bring to a boil and then remove from stovetop.

For each new layer, salt/pepper and parsley should be added.

Cover the pot with a heavy lid and chuck it into the oven. Cook for a long time. I choose to cook for three and a half hours.

Oh did the kitchen smell awesome, full of bacon and sausage. I lift that lid and stuck my face in the pot and waifed it all in. Thank you Ireland.

The fat rendered out from the bacon and sausage and potatoes soaked up all of that flavor. The sausage was buttery smooth while the bacon gave the dish a salty, smoky touch. The onions melted down nicely which added to the flavor the broth.

I am not an Irish man but I enjoy a pint of Guinness whenever possible and it washed down the coddle impeccably. I'm glad I chose to not include the Irish soda bread because the meal was quite filling. It would be a great addition to the meal though as the bread could sop up all the juices and gravy.

Those Irish people know how to drink and they know how to eat as well.

A Night in Bologna, Italy - Bolognese sauce

2011-01-21T13:49:00.001-06:00

I've been wanting to do two things. One, create a comfy, romantic dinner for my lovely Ryoko and two, make Bolognese sauce. I knew that the dish was going to be a perfect accompaniment to a candle-lit dinner with Italian red wine and Pavarotti singing in the background. It would transcend both of us right to Bologna as if we were dining under the moonlight. At least we could ignore the cold winter weather for a bit.

Italians obviously take their food and recipes very serious. Family recipes are sacred and remain secret. But recipes also remain controversial. Italians can engage in heated arguments over ingredients to a dish or preparation of a dish. So much so that the Accademia Italiana della Cucina registered the official recipe in 1982. Despite the official recipe, Italians and cooks everywhere use various ingredients. But the result should all be same; a warm, comfort sauce were flavors build and meld together creating a delicious meat sauce.

Bolognese is a meat sauce with tomatoes, not a tomato sauce with meat. The registered recipe calls for beef but I choose three different types of ground meats; veal, beef, and pork. Add in diced pancetta and you have your meat sauce.

Bolognese sauce is also known for its cooking time. The sauce is slowly-simmered for hours, which has also caused debate. Some choose shorter cooking times while I believe the lower and slower it simmers, the better it will taste. It takes time for the flavors to fully develop so shortcuts won't do.

The Bologna Chamber of Commerce states that an official Bolognese sauce should contain onions, celery, carrots, pancetta, ground beef, tomatoes, milk and white wine. Your basis of the recipe should start here and feel free to add any additional components. Set up with mise-en-place with:

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
1 large yellow onion
4 small carrots
4 stalks celery heart
4 garlic cloves

Start with preparation of the soffrito-the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Chop them into a nice and fine cut. Make sure the size is the same to ensure even cooking.

4 oz. of diced pancetta

3lb of meat mixture-veal, beef, and pork

1 cup dry white wine
2 cups milk
1 28-oz San Marzano tomatoes, diced (use liquid)
1 cup beef stock

Melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Add soffrito with a good pinch of salt and cook for about 5 minutes or until soft.

Add in diced pancetta and cook for 10 minutes.

Increase your heat to high and slowly add the meats 1/3 at a time. Break up and stir out the lumps of meat. Cook until you no longer see pink in the meats, about 12-15 minutes.

Add one cup of white wine and scrape up any bits on the bottom of pan. Cook out the alcohol, about 2-3 minutes. Then add in your tomatoes/liquid, milk, beef broth. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a slow simmer.

Simmer the sauce for 4 hours, occasionally stirring, not allowing the sauce to stick to the pan. You can partially cover the pan with the lid. You want a small, steady simmer.

The liquid will break down while the flavors start to build. After 3 hours the colors deepen and the sauce thickens.

Yet another debatable topic is the type of pasta used with this sauce. I prefer a heavier, thick pasta, one that will serve well with the sauce. You have to go with the classic tagliatelle or pappardelle pasta. I chose the pappardelle. Use fresh pasta if you can. I used store-bought so cook according to instructions.

To serve, use freshly shaved Italian cheese and garnish with basil. Ha, I forgot the basil....

We both absolutely loved the sauce. It hit us on all levels. The richness, boldness, depth of flavor was more intoxicating than the red wine. The trio of ground meats was the right way to go instead of using just one meat. Each meat brought its unique profile.

The tomatoes had the right amount of presense in the dish, not too much but achieved a nice base, the chunky tomato held up next to the bold meaty flavors.

The pappardelle was the perfect pasta to host the sauce. It clinged to the pasta and was the right size/shape for the sauce.

Ryoko was very pleased and we really enjoyed the ambiance from Pavarotti, the candles, and the wine but the sauce was the highlight. Despite my dressing up in a tie, she would say the sauce was the highlight as well.

I understand why there is much debate over the recipe after eating the Bolognese sauce. Such love and care goes into making the dish. To prefecting the sauce, choosing the right ingredients, the amount of ingredients to the satisfaction gained from eating it, such debates are important I guess. It is a dish worth fighting over.

A true comforting meal took us to Bologna, Italy for a night. It was so worth it!

Mole Negro Pork with Calabacitas

2011-01-16T18:09:00.000-06:00

So far it has been a cold winter and that obviously is making me think about the warm weather months (not many here in Wisconsin). And good, authentic Mexican cuisine is perfect for summer so I'm planning that this meal with mentally transport me to the summer hot air.

I've made moles on this blog before but have never attempted Negro Mole. Moles are basically a sauce that is popular in central Mexico and Oaxaca. Main ingredients consists of chipotles and ancho/pasilla peppers mixed in with spices, tomatoes, and garlic. The state of Oaxaca is known as the "state of seven moles" and one of those is Negro Mole. It is a dark, thick, and rich mole that includes Mexican chocolate. I just like the sound of the it and I'm sure it will taste even better.

Screw the snow and the cold, lets make negro mole.

Pork Loin:

3 canned chipotles in adobo
3 tablespoon adobo sauce
1⁄2 cup corn oil
1⁄2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon honey
3 cloves garlic
salt/pepper, to taste
3 lbs. pork loin, trimmed

Marinate the pork:

In a blender, purée the chipotles with their sauce, oil, vinegar, chile powder, oregano, honey, and garlic until smooth and season with salt/pepper. Put pork into a plastic bag and pour sauce over pork. Refrigerate overnight.

Negro Mole:

1 large tomatillo, stemmed, rinsed, and quartered
1 small tomato, cored and halved
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup corn oil
6 pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 plantain, cut into cubes
1⁄4 cup peanuts, plus more crushed for garnish
1⁄4 cup sesame seeds
1⁄4 cup raisins
2 1⁄2 cups chicken broth
2 oz. Mexican chocolate, chopped
1 1⁄2 teaspoon oregano
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 slice white bread, toasted and crumbled
Kosher salt, to taste
brown sugar, to taste
6 sprigs cilantro, for garnish

Set oven to broil. Toss tomatillos, tomatoes, and onions with 2 tablespoons oil in a bowl and transfer to a baking sheet. Broil for about 15 minutes, turning over about half way through. Transfer charred vegetables to a large bowl and set aside.

Toast chiles until dark and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer chiles to a bowl and cover with 3 cups boiling water; set aside to let soften for 15 minutes. Drain chiles, reserving 1⁄2 cup soaking liquid; set aside.

Heat remaining oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add plantain and cook until browned, 2 minutes. Add peanuts and sesame seeds and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, 3 minutes. If your pan is too hot, the sesame seeds will explode and pop out of the pan.
Add remaining ingredients: raisins, the tomatillo mixture, and the chiles with reserved soaking liquid, chicken broth, chocolate, oregano, cinnamon, and bread. Bring the mixture to a boil and remove from heat. Allow yourself to take in the mesmerizing aromas from the mole. Bits of chocolate, the sting of the peppers, and the tickle of the cinnamon will fill your nose. Working in batches, purée the chile mixture in a blender to make a smooth mole.

Add mole to a pan set on medium heat and cook, whisking frequently, until it thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and brown sugar. Dip a tasting spoon in there and get a taste.
Meanwhile, heat oven to 400˚. Remove pork from marinade and season lightly with salt. Transfer pork to a rack set in a roasting pan. Cook the pork, flipping once, until browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of pork reads 150˚, about 45 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Slice the pork loin and arrange over mole and garnish with peanuts and cilantro.

My chosen side for the pork was calabacitas. It is basically a squash and/or zucchini dish that includes onions, peppers, corn, potatoes, etc. It is a good vegetarian option for tacos/burritos. I used potatoes, corn, zucchini, and onions that were sauted in a pan and seasoned with salt/pepper.

Great, great meal. The mole has a lot of flavor and you can taste almost each ingredient that makes it. Not too spicy or hot, it pairs well with the pork and the calabacitas. Moles are fun to make, sure it takes time and different types of cooking techniques but the final product is worth it.

The marinade for the pork really enchanced the loin. Pork loin is bland on its own so it is essential to marinade it.

The peanut garnish added a nice crunch to the dish. I always need a crunch element in a meal and these little unsalted buddies did the job.

And yes, negro mole pork put me in a mindset of summer time but it only lasted a little while. I'll take it though.

Chilaquiles - Ain't Yo' Mama's Nachos

2011-01-15T15:17:00.002-06:00

It is NFL Playoff weekend and I am excited to watch my Green Bay Packers take on the Atlanta Falcons. Salsa and chips are a staple when it comes to this sort of experience but I wanted to take it up a notch like my Packers team.

Instead of chips just dipped into store-bought salsa, chilaquiles are tortilla chips that are simmered in a prepared salsa. Its main attraction is chorizo and chipotles peppers. Yeah, that sounds awesome! This dish comes from the Central part of Mexico (I have to get my ass there someday) and it usually served as a breakfest or brunch dish. Due to its spiciness, it is also a cure for a hangover, which I won't have yet at the time I will be eating these so perhaps I should leave some for the next morning. Anyway, leftover chilaquiles can be used for tortilla fillings for tacos/burritos.

Recipe:

6 plum tomatoes, cored and halved
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and halved
1 small white onion, quartered
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying
4 canned chipotle chiles en adobo
4 tablespooons chopped cilantro
1 1⁄2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
1⁄4 teaspoon dried oregano
corn tortillas, cut into triangles
Kosher salt, to taste
6 oz. fresh chorizo, removed from casing and chopped into chunks
1⁄4 cup sour cream, optional
2 oz. Mexican cheese, for topping
4 radishes, thinly sliced

Heat oven to broil and place rack 6" from broiler. In a bowl, toss tomatoes, garlic, jalapeño, and onions with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Transfer ingredients to a foil-lined baking pan.

Broil for about 5 minutes and then turn over ingredients. Broil another 5 minutes. Transfer roasted vegetables to a food processor. Add chipotle chiles, 2 tablespoons cilantro, sesame seeds, oregano, and a little water to the food processor and purée until smooth. If you have extras, you have a really nice roasted salsa!

Pour vegetable oil into a skillet. Heat over medium-high heat. Add triangle-cut tortillas (totopos) and fry until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes per batch. Transfer chips to a plate.

Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Add chorizo and cook, stirring frequently and breaking chorizo up into small pieces. Cook for about 8 minutes. Chorizo should be a deep red color.

Add tomato–chipotle sauce to pan, stir to combine, and season with salt. Bring to a simmer, add tortilla chips. Simmer until the tortilla chips just soften, about 2 minutes.

Transfer chilaquiles to a platter and garnish with remaining cilantro, sour cream, cheese, and radishes.

Damn, these aren't your mama's nachos and I totally understand the hangover aspect. Spicy, crunchy, creamy, perfecto! It is a messy plate but that should not be a concern, use your fingers or grab a fork and dig right in. Don't wear a white shirt though. Spilled chorizo really leaves a nasty stain.

The chorizo-tomato/chipotle combination is definitely a winner, very tasty. The radishes and cilantro add a nice garden flavor and work really well as garnishes. The Mexican cheese adds the creamy touch.

Chilaquiles are not Gringo nachos. These are way better than nachos you will get at a chain restaurant or local bar. Plenty of zing and zap!

Oh yeah, tastes great with an adult beverage and it has me ready for the NFL Playoff games today!

EDIT: Packers win in domination 48-21!

Panang Pork Curry

2011-01-14T19:39:00.000-06:00

There is something about curry that is exciting to me. I think it is a style or culture of food that is so far from home, from a place across the world, something opposite from what I was eating when I was a young boy. But after developing my tastes and interest in foods, curry isn't much different in essense from pasta sauces or mexican sauces. It is huge in flavor and very versatile with all types of meat, vegetables, and grains.

I've seen chefs on the tele from across the pond whipping up curries in large woks and hot pans, electric colors red and neon yellows. It looked so exotic and really caputured my attention. It is all that and more in my mind (and stomach.) I've come to really, really love Thai curries and with recent opening of Pacific Produce on Milwaukee's south side, 5455 S. 27th St., I knew I would be exposed to thousands of ingredients that has traveled from a far away land.

The making of a curry is simplistic and contains a small number of ingredients but it takes time to really perfect it. My version of this curry recipe is based on the eyeing of ingredients, not necessarily measuring out exact amounts. I love this style of cooking so add as much or little curry paste as your taste desires.

There are many types of curries but this features panang curry. It is a milder curry that features ingredients such as: chili peppers, galangel, lemongrass, coriander root/seeds, cumin seeds, garlic, and salt. Someday I would love to make curry from scratch but curry paste will do the job just fine.

Heat a pan with veg oil and add about 5-6 tablespoons of the curry paste.

Cook and break down the curry and then add about a cup of coconut milk and mix thoroughly until it is consistent.

Add the chopped pork to the curry. I used sliced tenderloin. Stir and cook for about 8 minutes until done.

Add about a tablespoon of sugar and a few tablespoons of fish sauce. Adjust amounts based on your personal taste. The pork and curry sauce on its own is a fine dish but I added a few vegetables for crunch and added texture. Cook the onions/carrots/carrots or whatever you choose for a minute or two.

Add more coconut milk throughout the cooking process to keep a consistent sauce base. This whole cooking process should only take about 12 minutes or so. Meanwhile, the kitchen smells amazing makes me imagine being in a steamy, hot kitchen in Thailand.

Garnish with basil leaves and kaffir lime leaves. The kaffir leaves have a strong flavor so beware how much you add. If you add too much, it can dominant other flavors. Serve with white rice.

Amazing, amazing flavors. The panang was indeed mild but it still had a distinct spice bite to it. The coconut milk rounds out that spiciness while adding base to the curry. The garnishes deliver a great herby touch, the kaffir providing a limey taste. The fluffy rice acts like a soft bed to the pork. It all works marvelous together.

Ok, enough of this blogging. I'm going to have another bowl.

Meatloaf Redemption!

2011-01-11T22:42:00.000-06:00

I'll be honest. I didn't grow up with meatloaf. I don't remember my mother or grandmother ever making it. But that is ok, they were/are great cooks. Meatloaf played a role for me later in life. It was a weekly endeavor at my university's dining hall. Topped with gravy or ketchup, I really enjoyed it, eventhough, it was cafeteria food.

So instead of "Mom's Meatloaf," I am starting a new meatloaf tradition in my cooking life. Topping it and wrapping it in bacon! How could it go wrong? Well, it can't. Do yourself a favor and top your meatloaf with bacon.

I'm sure everyone has a recipe for meatloaf. There are all different kinds styles and recipes that uset various types of ground meat to vegetables to spices to glazes. I chose to go basic here but don't let 'basic' dissuade you, it is stilled packed with meatloaf goodness.

Start by cooking your aromatic veggies. I finely diced up carrot, celery, onion, garlic, and fennel and cooked until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Allow the veggies to cool. Add in chunks of white bread that has been soaked in whole milk for 6-8 minutes. Make sure to squeeze out excess milk. The soaked bread adds to the tenderness of the meatloaf.

I combined 1 lb of ground pork and ground beef, 2 eggs, Worchestershire sauce, salt/pepper, ground cumin, red pepper flakes, horseradish, and finely diced scallions. Your additions to the meatloaf expands from dried fruits to herbs to any spices to ingredients such as capers and/or dried mushrooms. It is whatever you like or what you have in your pantry.

Form a 10x4 loaf in a 9x13 pan. Layer pieces of bacon on top of the meatloaf.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and cook until a meat thermometer registers at 160 degrees in the middle, about 50-60 minutes. Look at that baby sizzling away!

After you have achieved a middle of 160 degrees, turn on the broiler and crisp up the bacon, about 3-4 minutes. Allow the meatloaf to rest after it is done cooking to redistribute the juices.

That looks awesome, I'm ready to dig in. The kitchen smells of bacon and veggies and...and...and MEAT!

Yes, redemption indeed. The bacon provided a spectacular crispy crust while the inside was moist and tender. Bacon really adds a great pork flavor to the meatloaf since the fat bastes itself while it cooks. Does it get any better than that?

Sure, this isn't the world's greatest meatloaf recipe but it definitely provides a comfort level and was a perfect meal after shoveling snow. If you haven't made meatloaf before, start easy and take off from there, but don't forget the bacon!

Schweinshaxe - German Pork Knuckles

2011-01-07T15:26:00.000-06:00

I've taken a little break from blogging due to the holidays and I decided to get back into it with another German pork recipe.

Schweinshaxe are basically roasted pork hocks or ham hocks and it is popular in the Bravarian region of Germany. It features the crispy skin of the hock while being seasoned by paprika, caraway, mustard seed, other spices/herb and basted with beer. It is a simple poorman's dish but I'm expecting big flavors after having one at a German restaurant in the past. In case you don't know where the hocks are in a pig, here is a photo.

Ha, no, I'm just joking around. Here it is:

Ham or pork hocks are widely used for making stocks but the meat is very good and edible. Give it a try if you haven't already.

I am excited to use for the first time a gift Santa brought me, the dutch oven. I have been longing one for some time to expand my cooking abilities and opportunities. Here, I brown the skin first and then place in the preheated oven to roast for two hours. I can't wait.

Here is the recipe:

Schweinshaxe

2lbs pork or ham hocks
pepper/salt/paprika
oil or lard, for browning
1 onion
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon crushed juniper berries
1/2 tablespoon clove
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 cup water, boiling
1/2 cup (or more) good German beer, for basting

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse and pat dry hocks. Cut skin diagonally to make diamond/square patterns in skin. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika.

Heat oil/lard in a dutch oven and brown the hocks on all sides, for about 10 minutes total. Peel and quarter an onion and add to pot along with bay leaf, berries, cloves, and seeds.

Add the cup of boiling water and a little beer into the pot. Place dutch oven in middle of the oven and roast for 1.5 to 2 hours. Baste with beer.

Remove hocks from pan and add some beer to scrape up the bits on the bottom of pan. Thicken the sauce using 2 tablespoons of cornstarch/water paste and season with salt and pepper.

For a German side, I am making German potato dumplings a.k.a Kartoffel Knödel.

2 large potatoes, peeled, boiled, and cooled
1/2 cup of flour
1.5 teaspoon of salt
2 eggs

Grate the potatoes or use a potato ricer.
Add eggs, flour, salt and mix well together.
Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and drop them into boiling water. Gently boil for 10 minutes. Top with beer gravy.

Well there it is, the German pork knuckle. I have to be honest with you. I FAILED at it. Something was off. I believe it was in the gravy. Perhaps it was the beer I chose to baste the pork with. There was a bitter taste. Perhaps there was too much clove and I should have be wary of the clove because I am not a big fan of the flavor and I should have added less than I did.

The meat from the hock was tasty though. Nicely braised and tender, meaty, well-balanced porky flavor, but I couldn't get past the clove and bitter beer taste. The potato dumpling worked well. I believe I added 1 egg to many as I ended up with a sticky, gummy mess while trying to shape the dumplings. But with a litte salt and pepper, they tasted good (despite the gravy).

It is a shame but it happens in the kitchen. You can't always hit the home run. Sometimes your efforts don't pay off. It is ok though, you turn it into a learning experience.

There were a few positives. I really liked my dutch oven and I got to drink some really quality German beer.

You Can Call Me Al......Albondigas!

2010-12-12T12:23:00.000-06:00

For some reason, I have been in a Meatball State of Mind lately. I have been wanting to make this recipe so now seem like the appropriate time.

Meatballs take some time to prepare. It is a messy job, pushing your fingers through raw meat, mixing in raw eggs, and it isn't fun when your knuckle deep in a bowl and your phone rings. Oh well. It is easy to get over and just jump right in. It is important to achieve a consistent shape in your meatballs. Too big and it dominates the plate, too small, it might over cook. I like the size of golf ball or just a smidge smaller.

For this recipe, albondigas are being prepared for a really flavorful soup. You can it order online or find in a Mexican grocer but making your own Ancho Chile powder is key I think. Just look for dried ancho peppers in those plastic see-through bags, toast them, and then grind them in a spice grinder. The albondigas also call for roasted poblano peppers. Mild in heat but adds a nice roasted pepper flavor.

From the January '10 issue of Bon Appetit (with a few changes..):

Poblano Albondigas with Ancho Chile Soup

Meatballs:
2 large fresh poblano chiles* (9 to 10 ounces total)
1 pound ground PORK
1/2 cup coarsely grated zucchini
1/4 cup finely grated onion
1/4 cup panko
1 large egg, beaten
2 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Soup:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small onion, coarsely grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons homemade ancho chile powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
8 cups beef broth
1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 cup coarsely grated zucchini
1/4 cup long-grain white rice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Toppings:
3 tablespoons (or more) vegetable oil
4 corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
Chopped fresh cilantro

Albondigas:
Char chiles under broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in plastic bag and steam 10 minutes. Stem, seed, and peel chiles, then chop finely.

Place chiles in large bowl. Gently mix in pork and all remaining ingredients. Form meat mixture into golf ball-sized meatballs.

For soup:
Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add chile powder and cumin; stir 1 minute. Add broth and oregano; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir zucchini and rice into broth. Increase heat to medium and drop in meatballs. Return soup to simmer. Cover and cook gently until meatballs and rice are cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Add 1/4 cup cilantro and 1 tablespoon lime juice. Season soup with salt and add more lime juice if you desire.

For toppings:
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in skillet over medium heat. Add half of tortilla strips. Cook until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer strips to paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining tortilla strips, adding more oil if needed.

Ladle soup and meatballs into bowls. Top with tortilla strips and cilantro.

This soup was like a slap in the face. POW! Spicy, hot flavor nails you right away. I added a lot of ancho chile powder to create a nice base in the broth. The chile really comes out and makes the dish. The meatballs were like butter, mushy and comfy, and seasoned well. The tortilla strips added my need for crunch in a meal and the rice and zucchini added a nice, soft, pillowy texture to the soup. Me love Albondigas!

Meatballs are obviously versatile and each culture seasons and cooks them differently but they all achieve the same goal, a meaty ball of goodness!

Vietnamese Pork Pho - YES!!

2010-12-09T17:30:00.001-06:00

Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup in its basic form. But it offers a world of varieties. Pho is an example of why I love to cook and eat. Simple, basic, peasant-workingman's food that contains a ton of flavor that expands the globe and cultures. Slowly-simmered for hours while intoxicating aromas fill the kitchen, it is hard to wait it out.

Varieties include all different cuts of beef like flank steak, or chicken, and my favorite, pork. It also includes any vegatables you want to incorporate. Most popular are bean sprouts, onions, and chiles. Garnishes such as cilantro or basil leaves, Sriracha and Hoisin sauce are mixed in to personal levels. It is basically an open canvas, an empty bowl wanting to be filled with anything.

Pho is popular in the States. Small shops and counters are opening up offering steaming bowls of pho for cheap price. Traditionally, it is a breakfast dish but pho can be enjoyed anytime of course. Websites and blogs are devoted to it. Chef celebrities such as Anthony Bourdain die for a good lip-smacking bowl of pho.

I gave it go, tried to make my own version after compiling ingredients from people's recipes on the web. Like the pad thai I made last week, I don't want to totally botch it and ruin the experience but I did my homework so hopefully it will be amazing.

Pho has a lot of components but like most soups, the broth has to be on the spot aces, remarkably tasty and a power punch of flavor. I decided a boxed pre-made stock wasn't going to satisfy my attempt. Sure, you can use premade stock and it probably would be great. But I wanted to put my own stamp on it.

For the broth:

2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
4 whole cloves
2 star anise

Heat a pan and toast spices until fragrent, about 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside.

In a large pot, add:
a touch of oil
2-3 lbs of pork bones/meat - I used 2 lbs of pork neck bones, smoked pork neck bone, and reserved pork butt bone/meat. Brown meat and bones.
8 cups (or more) of homemade stock or premade stock. I used leftover stock from my German meatballs.
3 inch piece of ginger, cut into strips
onion
garlic
a few tablespoons of fish sauce

Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours or more. Strain stock and discard the solids.

While the stock is simmering, prepare the accompaniments. I used:

bean sprouts
cilantro leaves
red onion, sliced thin
red chile pepper, sliced thin
lime wedges
Sriracha chili sauce
Hoisin sauce, to mix in
Maifun noodles
center-cut pork loin chops
pickings from the pork neck bones

I cooked the pork chops seperately instead of simmering a pork shoulder or pork loin in the broth. I feared drying out the meat as I have had bowls of pho at places where the pork was tough and dry. I thinly cut center-cut pork loin chops into strips and added it into the broth after it was cooked.

Ladle the broth into bowls and add the noodles and the pork. The accompaniments can be displayed in a spread on the table as you can pick what you want. Add as much of whatever ingredient you want!

Wow! I did alright with the pho. It had plenty of flavor. The broth was the real star and the slow-cooked pork neck bones were very moist. I would recommend using a bone-in pork shoulder or 3 lbs of pork neck bones to simmer in the broth. I made the wrong decision to incorporate sliced pork chops. It was ok but the pork neck bones cooked in the broth had more flavor.

With the sauces, you can control the amount of heat you want to add to the bowl. I love the assembly of pho, you control what you want it to be essential. The sprouts, onions, and peppers were cooked by the heat of the broth, best to cut them mega thin. They added a nice crunch to the pho. The squeezed limes provided nice acid to the broth too. Oh yeah, I love schlurping up those maifun noodles!

People, good people, literally stop what you are doing and go make some Pho.

Königsberger Klopse - German Meatballs

2010-12-08T11:02:00.002-06:00

My ancestory comes from Germany and Poland and this dish is a staple from that heritage. I am making an attempt to cook more of the food from the old land.The dish originated in Königsberg, which used to be the capital of eastern Prussia, an old German state. Klopse means meatballs in German.

The original recipe for klopse includes anchovy but chopped up herring can also be mixed into the meatball. It is an age old recipe brought down from generation to generation on German tables and it represents the epitome of old-fashioned German comfort food. Guten appetit!

Klopse:

Soak a thick slice of bread in water, broth, or milk. Mix together 1-1.5 pounds of ground beef and pork. Beat 2 eggs well together and add to meat mixture.

Add 1 tablespoon of butter to a hot pan and add 1-2 small, finely diced onions and saute until golden. Let cool for a bit and add to the meat mixture. Wring liquid from the bread and add bread to the meat along with 3 tablespoons chopped parsley, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon worchestershire sauce or grated nutmeg, anchovy paste, salt/pepper, to taste. Combine ingredients with hands and shape into balls however size you desire.

Drop klopse into vegetable stock, simmer, and cover for 15 minutes.

Sauce:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour (or more to achieve desired thickness)
remaining broth (you can also add 1 cup of dry white wine)
salt/pepper, to taste

2 tbsp whole capers, drained
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp whipping cream

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and stir in flour. Then add broth/wine. Add remaining ingredients, season with salt and pepper. Cook sauce over a low flame for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the warm meatballs, cover the pot, and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

The German meatballs are usually served with boiled potatoes, rice, boiled noodles, or spätzle.

German comfort food at its top! The meatballs were Über tasty and the sauce was perfekte! Capers and the lemon juice added an acidic touch which balanced well with the creamy white sauce.
I literally licked the bowl like a schweinhund, sorry no photos.

This was an easy meal to prepare, done the old world way, with your hands, combining, mixing, forming, very German. Simple in its presentation yet reich in flaver.

More German recipes coming soon..........

Pork Pad Thai

2010-12-04T16:04:00.001-06:00

Maybe some of you can relate. Maybe some of you know what I am talking about. Sometimes your life is consumed with work and tight schedules that doesn't allow for substantial cooking time. Or you are too tired to make the effort to cook late at night.

Sometimes my work schedule doesn't allow for my style of cooking. I like a window of at least a few hours to braise or roast or marinate or grill. To me, thirty minutes or less calls for a sandwich or take-out or something unhealthy. I struggle to find a common ground between work schedule and adequate cooking time. I live alone so I have to plan these things and it can get difficult. Well, whatever, enough excuses, lets cook anyway.

Another dilemma is my respect for certain dishes, cuisines I like so much I don't dare to make and try on my own, you know, in fear of totaling screwing it up and in return, not liking it anymore. Pad Thai is one of those dishes. I first had pad thai in Portland, OR and it was amazing. Big, bold flavors, noodles, sauce, meat, vegatables, washed down with beer, fabulous!!

There are lots of variations of pad thai but despite the differences, it can be prepared and cooked fast and be a sufficient and satisfying meal.

So you get home at 8-9pm from work, you are tired and hungry and bored of frozen pizza or sandwiches, suck it up and make some Pad Thai.

If you don't prefer pork (why are you reading this then...), you can substitute shrimp, chicken, or beef....
Warm up a pot of water and add:

Maifun noodles-rice stick noodles

Soak in hot water for 10-20 minutes, until softened. Drain and cover, set aside.

1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into strips

Combine and add to bowl with pork. Marinate for 15-20 minutes. Prepare sauce base. Combine in a bowl:

2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 or 3 tablespoons sugar

Stir together and set aside.

Heat a wok with 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat wok . Saute pork for a few minutes. Set aside. Add another 1 tablespoon of oil and add:

3 well-beaten eggs

Cook until scrambed and remove to bowl. Reheat wok and add:

1/2 cup of scallions, white parts only
3 small red chiles, chopped and deseeded
3 small garlic cloves, chopped

Saute for about 1-2 minutes. Add maifun noodles and stir until well coated. Add fish sauce mixture and stir well. Add pork and eggs. Stir in:

1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/3 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
1/4 cup basil leaves, cut into strips
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
lime wedges, to garnish

Yes! The pad thai was very pleasing. Ok, I haven't perfected pad thai or have been cooking it the vast majority of my cooking life but it was awesome. Lot of great thai flavor. Speckled with amounts of heat and acid from the lemon and lime.

I wouldn't dare match it to the fantastic pad thai I had in Portland many years ago but for a quick meal, late on a work night, it kicked my ass.

I love the dish for its simplicity and it has a world of potential and room for improvement. Perhaps pork belly would work well or a broth would elevate it. But this version would please many people. The cilantro and basil herbs provide a great balance to the acid and the chile peppers and dash of red pepper flakes add enough heat. I really enjoyed the maifun noodles. They are easy to cook and act as a good base to the pad thai. They don't inferfere with the other flavors and its thin noodle combines well with the ingredients.

Do it!

Picadillo de Puerca a.k.a Cuban Pork Hash

2010-10-21T10:03:00.000-05:00

Picadillo is a traditional Latin American dish that usually features ground beef but you can easily substitute "puerca" or ground pork. The word derives from the Spanish word picar which means "to mince or chop" as well as small bits and pieces. Hash is a bunch of ingredients tossed together, mixtures of meat, vegatables, spices mashed into a coarse paste and then cooked.

Many countries have their own versions of hash. This Cuban version features a combination of sweet and savory ingredients: raisins, pimentio-stuffed green olives along with tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic and spices. A traditional side of Cuban black beans and rice accompanies the dish.

I like the concept of Hash dishes as you really don't need a recipe. Grab what is in the pantry and chop it up and mix it together and cook it up. Serve it with rice or tortillas, stuff it between bread or in an empanada, mix it in with scrambled eggs. Varieties are endless but I enjoy experiencing the authenticity of the dish.

Here we go, lots to prep in the kitchen. I started out cooking the rice because when it is done, the rice can sit for awhile. Plan ahead for the beans. They need over two hours to cook because they are not the canned version. I usually chop up all my vegatables and arrange my mise-en-place.

Cuban black beans with Rice (Frijoles Negros)

1.5 lbs of black beans
2 bay leaves
1 sprig of fresh oregano
4 tablespoons olive oil, split
1 tablespoon ground cumin
12 green onions, finely chopped
6-8 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
salt and pepper

Wash the beans and place in large pot. Add bay leaves and oregano and 1 tablespoon oil. Cover beans with water by 3 inches. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for about 1.5 to 2 hours until beans are tender.

Taste check the beans after 1.5 hours for tenderness. Near the end of cooking time for beans, start cooking the sofrito. In Cuban cuisine, sofrito is a combination of garlic, green bell peppers and onions. Much like the French's mirepoix (carrots, onions, celery) or New Orleans cajun/creole's Holy Trinity (onions, celery, green bell peppers), these versions are bases for stews/soups, etc..

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil on low-medium heat and add a tablespoon of cumin with the onions, garlic, and peppers. Stir often and cook it low and slow for about 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add it to the beans.

I don't like my beans watery so I drained out some of the bean water but kept about a half cup to a cup of water in the pot. Mix sofrito into beans. Cook for another 10-15 minutes stirring often. You can keep the rice and bean separate on the plate but I usually mash them together so I added the rice to the pot of beans.

Keep taste testing the rice to check for seasoning. I added a few extra sprinkles of salt and cumin to get it at the right point. Damn, I have a pot half-filled with frijoles negros!

Now to the main dish.

Picadillo de Puerca a.k.a Cuban Pork Hash

With about 30 minutes left with the rice and beans, I started cooking the hash. I wanted time for the rice and beans to cool slightly while the hash was fresh and hot out of the pan. My mise-en-place:

1 yellow onion
1 green bell pepper
28oz can of crushed tomatoes, undrained
2 lbs of ground pork
3/4 cup of raisins
1/2 cup of slivered almonds
4 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup of green pimiento-stuffed olives, halved (not pictured, forgot to include in photo)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1.5 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oil over medium heat and add onions and peppers. Cook 10 minutes or until soft. Next, add cinnamon, oregano, cloves, and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Be careful on the amount of the ground cloves, 1/8 teaspoon doesn't seem like a lot but the taste is powerful and you sense its aroma as soon as it hits the heat.

Add ground pork and cook for about 10 minutes.

Be sure to mix it all around to brown the pork and incorporate all the spices. Season with salt and pepper and add the raisins, olives and tomatoes. Cook until the liquid has evaporated, 20 minutes or so. At the end, add the almonds and red wine vinegar.

It looks really good at this point but cook it until most of the liquid is gone. You don't want a soupy hash on the plate.

Ah, finally done! Kitchen smells awesome, a few beers aided me along the way, have a ton of rice and beans, and cuban food begging to be consumed. You could go the easy, fast route and use canned black beans and just cook the sofrito into them but I had the time and wanted to take the more authentic route. I recommend it as the beans were super.

Picadillo isn't beautiful on the plate but damn does it taste great. I haven't been to Cuba but tasting this dish gives me at least a small impression. Bold, blasting flavors mixed with pleasant surprises. The tomato was very prevelant as the base to the dish, it kept the ground pork in line too. But I was entertained by the competition between the sweet raisin flavor versus the salty-briny green olive. There are a great match! Maybe not for a Blue Sapphire martini but for this cuisine, yes! And the crunch from the almond really made I think. It added a nice texture to the slow-stewed hash. The spices really take stage too. The cinnamon and clove are quite noticable but at the good amount. It will a few more workings of this dish to nail the exact amount of cinnamon and clove but be sure to not over season. The cuban rice and beans were a great accompanment too. Great cumin flavor seasoned the tender beans.

The meal was a bit filling from the meat and starchy quality of the rice but after all the effort, I needed to fill myself up. This is a great example why I love ethnic foods, simple yet big flavors. Sure, it takes a lot of time and but sans rice and beans, the picadillo shouldn't take you more than 30-45 minutes of prep and cook. Don't be afraid, buy a big pot and get to work.

Comer Bien!!

I enjoyed it so much I had some for breakfest!

Pork & Apple Stew

2010-10-19T16:16:00.000-05:00

Recently, I went to a German restaurant to celebrate my brother's 34th birthday. My mother ordered the special, Pork and Apple stew. I overlooked that for the braised lamb shoulder but I kept it in my mind as it would be a perfect meal to make a few weeks down the line.

It is full-swing Fall here in Milwaukee and I am full-swing into my autumn comfort foods. Slow-braised pork combined with apples and fennel does it for me. You really can't beat that combination for a meal on an October night.

Peeled and cored Granny Smith apples are the apple of choice. They are crisp and hearty and will hold up well in an hour-long simmer. Fennel pairs well with Granny Smiths and after a long stew, the fennel softens up, like onions, and flavors the broth. It really emits the essense of autumnal weather.

You will need:

3 lb pork butt, cut into 1" cubes
3 tablespoons vegatable oil
1 fennel bulb
2 medium onions, diced
small head of cabbage, chopped
1 cup of apple cider
3 cups chicken broth
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs of rosemary
2 sprigs of parsley
salt and pepper

Heat oil in a heavy pot. Season pork with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown the pork on all sides. Transfer to bowl. Add fennel, onions and the cabbage and saute for about 5 minutes. Add cidar to deglaze pan. Make sure to scrape up all the browned bits. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Return pork to the pot along with chicken broth, apples, bay leaves, rosemary and parsley. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1-1.5 hours until pork is tender. Remove rosemary, bay leaves and parsley before serving.

The stew was done after about an hour. The pork was at the right amount of tenderness. It simply melted in my mouth. It can be easy to stew the crap out of the pork and dry it out so moniter it closely. It makes all the difference. The pork should be just as tender as the onions and fennel.

The apples cooked down and became part of the broth. It oozed its sweety, tartiness into the stew but it tempered well and was not too sweet. The rosemary and parsley gave it a nice herbacous touch.

The pork and apple stew is an easy stew to make and you should consider making it a staple during the October month. It is hard to restrain myself from eating more right now but I need to make it last a few days!

A good brew is the beverage of choice.

Ham and Proscuitto sandwiches

2010-10-08T13:38:00.001-05:00

Find yourself a great deli in your town, one that offers steamy corned beef, pastrami, hot ham, great Italian cured/smoked meats and one where you can have confidence in knowing that when you go to this deli, all that you want will be waiting for you.

Delis usually offer the classic sandwiches and there is no problem about that. I want...I need a great pastrami sandwich every so often. I want to have a sandwich with fresh baked bread that transcends a simple ham sandwich to delicious realms.

But with a lot of restaurants, cafes, and bars opening here and there, competition to gain patrons becomes high. Places offer eating challenges or rely on a specialty food item to set themselves a part from the rest.

So here are two sandwiches; one is a classic deli-type sandwich and the other, is a sandwich you may not see on deli menus.

Panini - Mozzarella, Ham, and Basil

Paninis are a staple in delis. Ciabatta bread bookends the guts of the sandwich together and grilled or pressed to melt the innards for gooey goodness. This ham panini satisifies on all levels: crunchy fabulous-tasting bread, juicy tomatoes, herbacous basil, bite from Dijon mustard, sliced hot cherry peppers, balsamic vinegar, creamy, melted mozzarella cheese and hammy goodness from deli-sliced ham.

Mustard is brushed on bottom on sandwich while the vinegar is brushed on top slice. Layer mozzarella, basil, ham, peppers, and tomato. Cook in pan or grill or panini press for a few minutes a side. Done.

Classic sandwich that packs a lot of comfy, homey flavor. Good, quality ciabatta is key here, fresher the better. The mustard and vinegar paired together gave the sandwich a little sting to it but it only added to the overall pleasure of the panini. The melted cheese rounds out the flavor quite well.

I was a little shy with piling the ham on. Delis are known for stacking meats several inches high, usually half pound to a pound of meat. Shame on me but I needed to reserve some ham for the rest of the week lunches! But I would recommend adding a ton of ham.

Proscuitto, Pear, and Blue Cheese

This sandwich leans more to the trendy side. Paper-thin proscuitto intertwined with Bosc pears and blue cheese is a little more sophisicated then peanut butter and jelly. Peppered lettuce and shallots mixed in red wine vinegar adds a crispness to it Multigrain toasted bread wraps it all together.

The blue cheese and proscuitto lend its salty and fattiness while the pears' sweetness combat those flavors. It put the sandwich is a savory/sweet category but the ingredients all makes sense together. Similar to the panini, creaminess from the cheese pairs well with the crunch of the lettuce and toasted bread.

The proscuitto pear blue cheese sandwich was good and different but I am going to side with the classic panini. Melted cheese and smoky ham is a winner for me.

Fried Rice-True Fast Food

2010-10-05T17:15:00.002-05:00

Yes, fried rice is true fast food. Well, basically anything cooked in a wok. Blazing, searing high heat cook meats and vegatables in mere minutes. Traditionally, woks are placed over a pit stove where wood or coal is burning hot and high. But here in my small kitchen, an electric burner will have to do. It is not ideal for high temp stir fry because it doesn't provide quick even heating to properly stir fry.

Traditions and proper equipment aside, you still can whip up a quick stir fry and have it taste wonderful. Just go to any Asian restaurant or take-out and you can see how many variations of fried rice are out there. Of course, I've always loved pork fried rice. It can be a side dish or featured as a main dish compiled with more ingredients.

The key way to make fried rice is to use previously cooked, cold rice. It will not work if you use rice that you just steamed. So make rice a day ahead or hours before and chill until cold.

Fried rice lends itself to whatever style of cuisine you want. Any type of meat or vegatable works well as do various garnishes and sauces. That is what I really enjoy about it. You can make fried rice out of most things in the pantry.

Ham and Egg Fried Rice

2 cups of cold, cooked white rice
1.5 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup sliced green beans
12 oz. diced ham
soy sauce, to taste
sesame oil, few splashes
ground black pepper, to taste
2-3 large eggs, lightly beaten
sliced green onions, for garnish

The rice may clump up so make sure to break it up before stir frying. Also, allow ingredients to warm to room temperature if possible. When cold ingredients are added to a hot wok, it will kill your wok temp and you basically have to start over to get a high heat.

Heat a wok over high heat and add oil. Add onion and garlic and stir fry 1 minute or until onion browns. Add ham and green beans. Fry for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add rice. Constantly stir around the ingredients. Fry for 2 minutes and then add soy sauce, sesame oil, and pepper. Make a well in the middle of rice mixture and add in the eggs. Cook until eggs set. Garnish with green onions.

Pork Fried Rice

1.5 lbs pork, I used thin-sliced pork chops cut into small cubes
diced celery, carrot, onion, I don't measure out amount per say, I use what I think looks right
2 minced garlic cloves
cooked cold rice
2 tablespoons canola oil
sesame oil, few splashes
dark, heavy soy sauce, for marinating
light, low-sodium soy sauce
black pepper

Marinade the pork overnight in a dark, thick soy sauce. I used Pearl Bridge soy sauce. It is a dark soy and worked awesome for a marinade. After a day, bring to room temperature about an hour before cooking. Heat wok over high heat and add canola oil. Place onions and garlic in wok and fry for 1-2 minutes. Add carrots and celery. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Add pork and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add rice, additional soy sauce and sesame oil. Fry for another 2 minutes. Done.

Fried rice may seem elementary but I think it takes time to really perfect the dish. It takes practice to cook the vegatables at the right heat to keep a crisp, crunchy snap to them, to get that right amount of fry into the rice, and to achieve a right flavor mixture.

These two examples of fried rice were pretty basic but I love the simplicity. Yeah, you could throw some prawns in the wok and amp it up with exotic vegatables/spices but I like the humble fried rice.

The ham and the green beans go well together, juicy, slightly smoky ham mixed with crunchy beans. The eggs add a nice creamy touch. I'll admit that I poorly handled the eggs. I got too excited and mixed the eggs into the rice instead of allowing them to cook in the middle well until set. But nonetheless, do not omit the eggs.

The pork was the feature in the second dish. The marinade really built flavor into the chopped pork. The dark soy sauce provides a real deep base flavor. It matched up well with the carrots and celery. The vegatables retained a nice snap and crunch to them. It was hard to keep the spoon away from bowl-to-mouth.

And the rice? Previously simmered in chicken broth and bay leaves, refridgerated overnight, it fried up well. I have tried to fry rice right after boiling it and it doesn't work at all. The rice needs to be cold so it will develop that fried flavor.

I know fried rice won't show up on any fine dining restaurants or won't make any Top Food lists but I am a fan of comfort food and quick and simple huge flavor foods, so fried rice ranks high for me.

Pork as a Team Player: Lentil Soup

2010-10-04T21:03:00.000-05:00

A week or two ago, after many beers, I was hungry. I scoured through my food pantries and found a bag of lentils. I immediately recognized that I have had this bag of lentils for over a year and never knew what to do with it. But at this time, I wanted to get rid of it. I had some leftover mirepoix-carrots, onions, celery, and some chicken stock, plus various aromatic herbs. So I melted some butter, added some oil, sauted the vegatables, added stock, simmered, seasoned, and woooot, I had Lentil soup.

Perhaps it was my drunken state or just an introduction to lentil soup, but I was hooked to the simplicity of ingredients, quality of flavor, and overall satisfaction of the soup, a very tasty vegatarian soup. So I did a little research on lentil soup and combined a few recipes to create a lentil soup that exhibited pork as a humble ingredient to a recipe that features multitudes of ingredients.

Smoked sausage stands in line with many ingredients here, a team player, a blocker on a special teams unit in football or a penalty kill forward in hockey, but it remains an important part of the whole system, key to its to purpose. Sure, yeah, it is just smoked sausage, but I don't think it would be the same without it.

Sharpen your knife, clean your cutting board, throw on some music, because most of this soup is all prep work.

1/4 cup olive oil or vegatable oil
1/3 cup butter
1 onion, chopped
4 carrots, diced
4stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
bunch of fresh thyme springs, tied
2 bay leaf
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2.5 cups dry lentils
6 cups chicken broth plus 2 cups water
4 cups spinach, rinsed and thinly sliced
3 potatoes, cubed
1 lb smoked sausage, cubed
salt and pepper, to taste

In your favorite large soup pot, melt butter and add oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender, 8-10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add bay leaf, oregano, and bunch thyme and cook for 1 minute.

Add lentils, stock, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 hour. Stir occasionally. After 30 minutes, add potatoes and smoked sausage and cook for 30 minutes more. Remove from heat and let rest. Stir in spinach and let residual heat wilt the spinach.

This lentil soup is very hearty and chunky and very fulfilling. All the flavors meld very well together. You really get the smoke flavor from the sausage while the thyme, bay leaves, and oregano add a herbaceous tone. The spinach acts like a condiment/topping, wilted and done just right, I really enjoyed it. With all the ingredients, the lentils do not get lost in the crowd. Their grainy texture is noticed on every bite providing many amounts of protein, fiber, and iron. The legumes really absorbs a lot of flavor from the stock.

I am a lover of soups and stews, meaty or vegatarian. Maybe I am nerdy or something but I love prepping for soups and I love a pot simmering for several hours. Life seem more right during these moments. I usually make more than I need to but I enjoy having a huge pot stewing and simmering. This soup does well as a leftover and after a simple reheating, you have another tasty meal.

Please, don't be afraid of vegatables. If you are, add PORK!!!!!!!!!!

Bakon Vodka

2010-09-26T07:01:00.002-05:00

I saw Bakon Vodka at my favorite liquor and I had a good chuckle. A lot of products, some non-food related, are becoming bacon-flavored. Everything tastes better with bacon, right?

I asked the clerk about it and he said it smelled like bacon but didn't try it. He made a joke imagining it wouldn't be good as a Bacon vodka tonic. It seems, however, to be just right for Bloody Marys. It is being advertised as "the only vodka you'll ever want to use to make a Bloody Mary, and it's a complementary element of both sweet and savory drinks."

From Black Rock Spirits in Washington, here is Bakon Vodka's story:

We started out testing various infusions in our kitchen in the fall of 2007. We wanted to do it right, to create a premium-quality vodka you'd enjoy drinking. To match an infusion, we tested recipes for over two years, finally landing at the one true "Bakon Vodka".

We start with a superior quality potato vodka. Distilled in Idaho from potatoes, it is smooth, slightly sweet with the well-rounded flavor that you only get from a quality potato distillation, with no strong burn or aftertaste. Our vodka is column-distilled using a single heating process that doesn't "bruise" the alcohol like the multiple heating cycles needed to make a typical pot-still vodka. Getting the perfect savory bacon flavor took us a while to get right too. We wanted it to have the essence of a delicious crisp slice of peppered-bacon.

After numerous recipes and a lot of testing, we got it right. And we think you'll agree.

You can access recipes for drinks here. From the Bakon Chocolate Martini and the Scottish Bacon to Bakon Vodka marinated Steak, the recipes offer a decent range of tastes. The quality of taste, that is a different question?

I have read some reviews and some people love it so much, love the smoky, real bacon flavor and my favorite negative review, some guys wrote that is tasted "like pig's ass." It has received a lot of attention on television from late night show hosts Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien, to print Maxim Magazine, the Chicago Tribune, to CNN and NPR.

Great, alright, whatever, how does it taste?

I enjoy my Bloody Marys. That is the first thing I thought about when I saw bacon-flavored vodka and I wanted to try it real bad.

I used Tabasco's Bloody Mary mix for the base. It has the right amount of heat that I like and it is seasoned really well with a good tomato flavor. Added a few shots of Bakon vodka, ice, and loaded the glass with homemade pickles and pickled green beans from my garden. Also, I added a few splashes of Worchestershire sauce, soy sauce, and lemon juice and topped it off with some celery seed.

My garnish consisted of pitted green olives, pepperoni, and cocktail onions.
I really enjoyed it!!! The bacon flavor really does come out, makes it presence known and is not overbearing. There is a hint of smokiness that is noticeable in the drink. I wouldn't say it is a perfect accompaniment to a Bloody Mary but I would definitely recommend using it. I prefer a meatier Bloody than one stuffed with greens and veggies. Give me meat sticks, pepperoni, heck, I had a Bloody in Saint Louis that put a pork rib in the glass.
I haven't tried any other of the recipes that the company offers but after reading them, I think I will just use this vodka for Bloodys. Bacon-infused vodka mixed with banana liquor or irish creme are not really the drinks for me. I also don't think this vodka is for straight-up shots. I mean, go ahead, if you want but on its own, it didn't shine.

I also thought it was a little over-priced. A sleek, clear bottle with the brand of Bacon, new popular item on the market, I'm sure they thought they add a few bucks. Retailed at $26.99, it is not too pricy but for me, a one-trick pony, it could have been cheaper.
Honestly though, after drinking two or three of the Bacon Bloody Marys and literally becoming pork drunk, I would probably be up for trying any weird bacon vodka recipes.

Sconnie Beer Cheese Soup

2010-09-19T18:04:00.002-05:00

Ok, we have our stereotype in Wisconsin for being cheeseheads and beer drinkers and I really don't have a problem with it. No, I don't own a cheesehead hat that you see at Green Bay Packers games, I'd rather eat cheese than wear it. But I have to embrace our state's finest products, beer and cheese.

The only way to make Sconnie Beer Cheese soup is to use local ingredients, state-brewed beer and Wisconsin-made cheese. You can't help but notice the cheese chalets along our interstate highway roads, Mars Cheese Castle for example. You can't help but notice tailgaters or football parties displaying platters of cheeses and kegs of beer. It sounds like a riot, doesn't it? That is how we do it in Wisconsin, with moderation of course....(not really)

It was hard to finalize a choice of what sconnie beer would work best for the soup. Sure, you have the Miller beers but nah, too light and void of real, real beer flavor. I love Schlitz Tall Boys and it cooks well but not for the soup, works better for beer brats.

We have a ton of Milwaukee breweries putting out fine brews and ales like Lakefront Brewery, Sprecher, Milwaukee Brewing Company, Leinekugels (also brews in Chippewa Falls), great brewery in Stevens Point, Point Brewery or a ton a awesome breweries in the Madison area: Capital, Tyranena, New Glarus.

And I can't forget to mention the hundreds of microbreweries in Wisconsin as well: Lake Louie-Arena, Horny Goat-Milwaukee, Sand Creek-Black River Falls, Gray's-Janesville, Central Waters-Amherst, Potosi Brewery-Potosi.

Oh I almost forgot to mention the Brewpubs. Some of the best beer is made from Wisconsin brewpubs: Great Dane and Ale Asylum in Madison, Hinterland in Green Bay, Milwaukee Ale House in Milwaukee, and Pearl Street Brewery in LaCrosse. I could go on and on.

But after dreaming about different beers, I narrowed it down to two beers: Hinterland's Pale Ale and Lakefront's Fixed Gear Red Ale. I chose Lakefront's Fixed Gear Red Ale for the deep red ale flavor. I think it will work well for the beer cheese soup.

My knowledge of cheese isn't as extensive as beer but one cheese company that stands out is Merkts. They make plenty of fine cheese spreads from port wine to beer cheese. Merkts sharp cheddar has become a favorite for grillers with the creation of the Merkts' Burger, melting a heaping stack of Merkts cheddar on top of a grilled burger. There is nothing else like it. Merkts sharp cheddar cheese spread will be my cheesy base, along with some Crystal Farms shredded cheddar (Lake Mills, WI).

Where is the pork product you wonder? Like most soups with bacon, it is just a garnish but it is not to be taken lightly. The bacon garnish adds a ton of flavor-smoky, crispy, fatty goodness to the dish. Since I am out of my own home-cured bacon, I went with the next best thing-Nueske's Thick-Sliced Peppered Bacon. The company is based in Wittenberg, WI.

For the Sconnie Beer Cheese soup, you will need:

1.5 cups chopped carrots, onion, celery
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon hot sauce
salt and black pepper, to taste
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups beer
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups half and half cream
4 cups shredded cheese, I also used 1 cup of Merkt's cheese spread
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce
chopped bacon, for garnish
chopped green onion, for garnish

Saute chopped bacon. Drain on towel and set aside.

Sweat carrots, onions, and celery in butter for 10 minutes. Add garlic, cook additional minute. Add flour, a bit at a time and stir constantly. Cook for a few minutes. Stir in half and half cream, beer, broth, mustards, and Whorchestershire sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, slowly and gradually add cheese while stirring.

Ladle into bowl and garnish with bacon and green onion.

Served with Pabst Blue Ribbon and a pretzel bread roll.

First off, the soup was a knockout! Creamy cheese with crunchy vegatables topped with crispy bacon, mop it up with pretzel bread, wash it down with a cold brew. Is there anything better??!?!?! The bacon did add a nice smokiness to the dairy-laden dish. The soup was also at the right amount of thickness. It should not be runny and watery. You also need a tasty slice of bread with a bowl of soup and the pretzel roll was perfect. I know sconnies garnish their beer cheese soups with popcorn or crushed pretzels but the pretzel roll surpasses those options.

It is Week 2 of the NFL and Green Bay Packer season and this soup was timed just right for another Packers win versus the Buffalo Bills. Good comfort food matched with good football.

Smoky Chili with Plenty of Pig

2010-09-13T21:41:00.009-05:00

September is here and that means it is time for the National Football League (and Green Bay Packers!!). Sundays are now for getting together with friends and family, eating good food, imbibing beers, and huddling around the big flatscreen to watch our beloved teams.

I usually like to get up early, throw coffee in the pot, and prep ingredients while listening to pregame football talk on the radio. Usually, the menu consists of some type of soul food/comfort food. I love my stews and soups and slow cooker recipes for fall sunday football days. For week 1 of the NFL, I wanted to make a pork-filled chili that would simmer slowly and build flavors all day until the halftime of the Packers vs. Eagles game.

Chili usually consists of basic ingredients: ground beef, peppers, beans, onions, cheese, tomatoes. This chili incorporates ingredients that are slightly different from normal giving the chili a Mexican flair, sweet and tartness combined with smoky, robust flavors.

It is also a very meaty chili, which is essential for my type of chilis. Pork shoulder, ground pork, and smoked pork neck bones fill up the pot and all add a different texture to the chili. No beef is present in the chili, no beef! And tomatillos are added to give the chili some zip.

1 lb ground pork
1lb pork shoulder, cut in half inch cubes
3 cups cut onions
2 cups cut green bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup lager-style beer, I used Sam Adams Boston Lager
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoon Mexican oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 tomatillos, quartered
2 bay leaves
2 - 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes, undrained (I used fire-roasted tomatoes from Muir Glen)
1 - 15 oz can pinto beans, drained
1 - 7 3/4 oz can Mexican hot-style tomato sauce
2 smoked pork neck bones or smoked ham hocks, or one of each!
chopped cilantro, green onions for garnish
crumbled queso fresco
lime wedges

Cook ground pork in pan for about 5 minutes, drain, and place in slow cooker. Place pork shoulder cubes in pan and brown until done. Transfer to slow cooker.

Add onions and bell pepper to pan and saute for 6-8 minutes. Add garlic, saute for 1 minute. Add tomato paste, cook another minute. Add beer and cook for 1 minute. Stir to combine ingredients. Transfer mixture to slow cooker.

Add salt, chili powder, and next 9 ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook until meat is tender, about 8 hours on LOW setting or 5 hours on HIGH setting.

Ladle chili in bowl and garnish with cilantro, green onion, queso fresco, and the juice of 1 lime wedge.

Serve with cornbread. I made a jalapeno blue cornbread to accomodate the porky chili.

It was a great day! The Packers beat the Eagles 27-20 while the chili packed a punch similar to a Clay Matthews sack (Sorry QB Kevin Kolb).

The chili did have a very deep, robust flavor. The smoked neck bones gave the chili a woodsy flavor. The neck bone meat with the pork shoulder and ground pork thickened up the chili but did not dominate the bowl. The fire-roasted tomatoes also added to the smoky touch while the tart of the tomatillos and acid from the lime balanced the smoke.

The garnish was quite lovely. I spent decent money on the queso fresco but it was worth it, as there is no substitute for queso fresco. It adds a nice creamy touch. The jalapeno blue cornbread was a perfect side dish. Whole corn kernals, minced jalapenos, and toasted pine nuts are added to a blue cornmeal mixture and cooked for 40 minutes resulting in a comforting and pleasing addition.

You can vary the hotness of the chili if you like. I made mine at a moderate level. I'm really not into chili bowls that are super hot and make you sweat, needing 2 beers a bowl to take away the heat. Chili allows you to be flexible with the ingredients, using your instincts to add this or that and quantity of certain ingredients. That is what is fun about cooking chilis, it can be anything you want basically.

And I must admit, the chili tasted better because the Packers won the game.

Pork Pie

2010-09-07T22:22:00.000-05:00

I had a rare off day from work so I took up the entire afternoon and evening to whip up a Pork Pie. We had blistering winds in Milwaukee so it was perfect to cook inside the kitchen.

I've been wanting to make a meat pie that consists of gooey, moist filling on the inside and a crusty topping on the outside. This recipe brings all those qualities to the forefront. Oh yeah, let's have a go!

Buck up and head the market because there are a lot of ingredients to create this dish but with a little bit of time and love, it all comes together quite well.

For the pie filling:

1.5 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon mexican oregano
3 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 tablespoons minced, seeded jalapeno chiles

1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped white onions
1 cup salsa verde
coarse kosher salt
10 oz frozen corn kernal, thawed

2 poblano chiles
1 green bell pepper
1.5 lbs boneless country-style pork ribs, cut into 1 inch cubes

Char the peppers under the broiler and transfer to a bowl and cover and let steam for ten minutes. Peel, seed, and coarsely chop chiles and pepper. Set aside.

Stir cumin and coriander seeds over a hot pan until fragrent. Finely ground the seeds in a spice mill and set aside.

Coarsely puree thawed corn kernals and set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to a pot. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper and brown all sides of the pork in pot. Transfer to a bowl. Add another tablespoon of oil and saute chopped onions, about 5 minutes. Add spice mixture, garlic, jalapenos, and oregano. Stir one minute. Return pork to pot and add chicken broth, scraping up the tasty browned bits. Add salsa verde and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 30 minutes. Add chopped chiles, chopped bell pepper, and half of the corn puree; cover partially and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

The kitchen smells amazing full of pork goodness during the simmering process. Stir occasionally. Start to prepare the cornbread topping. You will need:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal, whole-grain stone ground
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1 tablespoon honey
grated chedder cheese, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and chili powder in a large bowl to blend. Whisk remaining corn puree, whole milk, melted butter, egg, and honey in another bowl to blend. Add corn mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine. Add in shredded cheddar, as much or as little as you like.

Fill a cast-iron skillet with the pie filling and top it with the cornbread topping. Spread evenly throughout. Add extra cheese on top of the cornbread topping.

Bake pork pie until the topping is a deep golden brown color, about 30-40 minutes. Have a look-see during this time to make sure you don't burn the cheese.

Oh, isn't that beautiful?!? Nicely crisp top with burnt edges; it makes a cracklin' sound when you scoop into it. Add a little sour cream to garnish the pie.

Oh yes, this pork pie was fabulous! Well worth the effort and the time put into it. It came out great with the crispy top and warm, gooey middle. The cast-iron is the right pan to use to give the pie a great texture. You can really taste the roasted peppers and the spice mixture in the filling and in the cornbread topping. The corn flavor also shines through but does not dominate the other ingredients. The salsa verde is perfect with the porky insides.

I think this dish would be a crowd pleaser, especially when it comes out of the oven. That golden brown color of the crust really is appealing. The texture is spot on with both crunchy and moist working together.
I must say that this pie was fulfilling on all food levels.

Tuck in!

Pancetta and Baked Egg Breakfest

2010-09-06T10:10:00.001-05:00

I saw this recipe in the recent Bon Appetit magazine and I had to try it. I don't always make breakfest early in the morning but with Labor Day weekend on the calender, it seemed like the right time.

It was nice and cool this weekend in Milwaukee so I didn't mind cooking inside with a hot oven. I still have a chunk of home-cured pancetta left and I figured it would replace the bacon in the recipe just fine. The prep and the cooking time is about 20 minutes so this early morning meal is great before work or a morning jog.

Ingredients (for one serving):

bacon or pancetta
baby spinach
toasted whole wheat English muffin
large egg
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
salt/pepper

Obviously, you can reconfigure and customize the ingredients for multiple servings. Only important note would be to have 1 tablespoon of cream per dish.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pancetta in pan until crisp. Reserve the pancetta drippings and place pancetta on paper towel. Add spinach to pan and coat with pinch of pepper. Cook for one minute until wilted. Transfer to a strainer. Brush ramekin with reserved pancetta drippings.

Place toasted whole wheat English muffin in bottom of the ramekin. Layer with spinach, then pancetta, and make a well in the center of the muffin. Crack one egg into the well keeping yolk intact. Drizzle one tablespoon of heavy whipping cream over egg and season with salt/pepper.

Bake egg until whites are just set but yolks are still runny, 13-15 minutes.

I love the layers of toasted muffin, wilted greens, fatty/crispy pancetta, topped with the creamy egg. Even with the heavy cream, the dish tasted light while I felt fulfilled. One ingredient didn't overpower the other, the wilted spinach stood up well against the salty pancetta. The toasted muffin and baked egg were perfect bookends for the dish. Serve with a warm cup of coffee or since it is a holiday weekend, a Bloody Mary perhaps!

Don't disrespect the Power Bite! Get each ingredient on your spoon for the full experience.

Italian Classic: Sausage with Peppers

2010-08-31T13:29:00.001-05:00

I've been on an Italian kick of late and why not, it is good cuisine and easy and fun to make. Rain came in so the humidity went down and it is nice and cool outside. A good time to fire up the barbeque and grill some Italian sausages.

Some day I would like to encase my own sausages, grind the pork and fat up and stuff them into hog casings but at this point, I don't mind at all buying local products. Usinger's is known for their German-style sausages and meats but I'm sure their Italian sausages satisfy their Italian friends.

Grilled over indirect heat at about 250-275 degrees for 45-50 minutes, the sausages become nice and plump and very juicy. Carefully consider the heat as you do not want to split the casing. Grilling over the right temp prevents all the flavor from escaping the split sausage.

After about 40 minutes, I added the green and red bell peppers along with some onions. Lightly seasoned with salt and pepper and olive oil, they sizzled immediately as they hit the grill pan.

The sausage and peppers would taste fine without a bun but I couldn't pass up purchasing some local Italian bread from Peter Sciortino's bakery, Milwaukee's finest bakery located on the east side. Those light and fluffy rolls are so perfect.

One huge reason why I love Italian food is from the simplicity of ingredients resulting in satisfying flavors. Sauted/grilled peppers and onions mix well with the slowly-grilled sausages. The Usinger's italians are seasoned beautifully while the Sciortino italian roll nestles the pork and veggies perfectly.

The sausage was so juicy, it was dripping off my fingers. Oh I love that! The only component missing was a glass of Chianti but I have to leave for work soon. Oh well, next time.

Salute!

Little Ears with Pancetta

2010-08-30T21:05:00.000-05:00

In the Italian language, orecchio means ear, and the suffix "etto" means little, hence the nickname, little ears. Orecchiette is shaped like a small cup or disc. It is great for holding thick sauces and ragus. But I utilized this little ear-shaped pasta to host some of my produce I grew from my garden.

I love the simplicity of a Caprese salad which is fresh tomato, mozzarella, and basil touched with olive oil and seasoning. For a salad with only three ingredients, it packs a lot of flavor, the fresher, the better. I've been harvesting basil and tomato from my garden the last few weeks. Those ingredients combined with pasta are truly one of my favorite dishes. Simple, quick, super tasty. So this is my take on Caprese salad. To add more punch to the dish, I added my own home-cured pancetta.

The orecchiette only takes about 10-11 minutes to cook. While boiling the pasta, get a pan nice and hot, add a little drop of olive oil and add the chopped pancetta. I sliced the pancetta into a similar size to the cut-in-half cherry tomatoes. I added the tomatoes to the pan to cook for about a minute in the oil and pancetta fat. The basil was roughly ripped into pieces.

This is my tongue-in-cheek attempt to plate like the chefs on Top Chef or any other competition cooking show. The tiny mozzarella ball sits nicely atop the fried pancetta. I suppose it would make a great amuse bouche for a party.

Orecchiette with pancetta, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and basil.

I must say, this dish was amazing. The cherry tomato burst in my mouth, sweet and a little bitter, but it is that good bitter taste. But when I had a spoonful of tomato with the pancetta, that is when it blew me away. Salty, fatty goodness combined with bursting garden fresh tomato, holy shit! (Sorry for the cuss but it perfectly explains my reaction.)

The fresh basil was a highlight on its own. Picking basil from the garden and cupping them in my hands and taking in a huge whiff of it is why I started a garden in the first place. I love the smell of fresh basil, tastes even better. It is a perfect match with tomato, olive oil, salt, pepper, etc....

The orecchiette was the right pasta to use, the mozzarella, pancetta, and tomatoes sat inside the little cup perfectly. I must say that the only real letdown was the mozzarella balls. I think the smaller the ball, the more void of taste. It looks pretty in a small tight ball but next time I will just get a big chunk of cheese and cut into little pieces.

I know it is only 5 main ingredients but damn, they all work amazing together and for the amount of time needed to make this dish, few are better and more tasty.

Torta Loco!

2010-08-29T15:46:00.002-05:00

My work schedule has been very busy of late. All I have been eating is pasta dishes and sandwiches. So on my first day off in some time, I made another sandwich. But this is more tasty and more involved than a PB&J sandwich on the road.

When I am busy working, I don't think about food much. I get home late and don't have time to cook or I am just plain tired. But when I see a day off coming up, I immediately start planning menus and lists. I have had a good Mexican-inspired torta on my mind for days. Lets do it!

Torta in spanish means sandwich. Tortas can be made of anything you want but the usual suspects are meat, beans, tomato, avocado.

Pork Chop Torta

This torta features a seared boneless center-cut pork chop, sliced or pounded thin, about 1/4 inch seasoned with salt and cumin and pan-seared for a few minutes a side.

Thinly-sliced onions, avocados, homegrown tomatoes, salsa, pinto beans, and pepperjack cheese are piled high on top of the pork and sandwiched between a toasted baguette.

This torta was exactly what I was thinking about all week. It is simple to prepare while all the flavors mix beautifully well together. The avocados, salsa, and melted cheese provide a creamy texture backed by the crunchy crisp of the toasted baguette. And of course, the pork makes it worthwhile with the smoky flavor from the cumin.

Achiote Pork Torta

This torta features an achiote-marinated pork shoulders blades. The achiote marinade consists of achiote paste pureed with garlic, white vinegar, freshly-squeezed orange juice, lime juice, cumin, salt, and cilantro. I left the blades to marinade overnight.

The guts of the torta consist of lettuce, thin-sliced onion, homegrown tomatoes, roasted red bell pepper, pepperjack cheese, guacamole, fresh salsa, and a telera bun.

I hollowed out the inside of the roll and arranged the ingredients in this order: pepperjack - pork - lettuce - tomatoes - guacamole - onions - peppers - salsa.

This torta was much better than the pork chop torta. The achiote really gave the pork a smoky and spicy touch. The lettuce added a nice crunch and the salsa, guacamole, melted cheese, and roasted peppers provided that awesome mexican flavor that I love. The telera roll was also a better option for bread. The insides were toasted under the broiler while the outside of the roll retained its pillowy and doughy texture.

The achiote pork torta was easy to prepare. Most of the work comes with prepping the ingredients, cutting veggies and making salsa/guacamole. The only cooking requirement is pan-searing the pork shoulder blades. But man, it is so good! Get the best, most fresh ingredients and make this torta.

Char Siu - Chinese BBQ

2010-07-27T15:20:00.001-05:00

When I was younger, my friends and I would always go jump in our ragged cars with our fresh, new driver's license and go eat at Hong Kong Buffet restaurant. Enamored with all types of Asian cuisine and tough choices to put on the plate, my friends piled their plates with crab legs, I usually high-piled barbequed pork on top of white rice. I loved the smoky, sticky pork pieces. It seemed to go well with anything mixed on my crowded plate.

I never knew the time and effort that went into preparing such a dish. Nor did I know the official name. Char Siu or Cha Shao is a marinated, sweet, slow roasted pork with a deep red color usually found in dim sum-steamed pork buns and in fried rice. Lots of ingredients make up the marinade but each ingredient plays a key role in the final product of char siu.

I took a trip to a local asian market, Thai Asian Market in Menomonee Falls, to pick up the key ingredients. They stock authentic asian products at a very, very reasonable price.

The marinade:

1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of kosher sea salt
1/2 cup of light soy sauce
1/2 cup of dark molasses
1/2 cup of Chinese rice wine
1/4 cup of honey
1/4 cup of dark soy sauce
1/4 cup of kecap manis, Indonesian sweet soy sauce
1/4 cup of oyster sauce
1/4 cup of hoisin sauce
1/4 cup of garlic chili sauce
2 tablespoons of Chinese five spice powder
2 tablespoons of ground annatto

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and mix well. Stir over medium to low heat until the sugar has dissolved. This should take a few minutes. Do not let the marinade heat up enough to bubble and simmer.

For the pork, use boneless or remove the bone of a Boston Butt or Pork Shoulder. Cut shoulder into steak size. Place pork and marinade in a plastic bag or glass casserole container to marinate. I marinaded the pork for 4 days. The longer it marinades, the more intense the flavor. If four days is too much for you, marinade overnight.

The steaks are ready for the grill. Prepare a two-zone grill with the coals on one side and indirect heat on the other side. Place a tin foil pan next to the coals. The water keeps the meat moist as well as collecting the drippings from the meat. Soak and drain wood chips for smoking. Heat up coals and lay chips on the coals. Place steaks on the indirect side of grill grate.

The smoking/cooking time depends on the size of your pork cuts. I smoked the char siu for three hours. You want to cook the interior of the meat to a minimum temperature of 160 degrees. Here is the pork after two hours of smoking.

After you are done cooking, let the pork rest for about 10 minutes. I coated the char siu with a mixture of one tablespoon of hoisin sauce mixed with one tablespoon of kecap manis.

Cut char siu into strips or bits, however you prefer.

Served over white rice with pickled cucumber and radishes with extra hoisin/kecap manis sauce drizzled on top.

The char siu tasted just like I remember from the Asian buffets I used to eat at. Smoky and sticky-tasting with hints of sweetness, the pork tasted great next to the bite of pickled vegatables. The marinade is made up of a lot of ingredients but they all work together and no ingredient outdoes the other. I love how pork can take on a lot of wide scale ingredients and give you a bomb of flavor. The smoke brings a lot of character to the dish as well and it wouldn't taste the same without it. Simply roasting the pork would give you a succulent, tender piece of meat but it would be void of the extra layer of taste and crunch from the bark.

It was a near perfect dish for me. I wished I had minced green onions and cilantro for a little herby, fresh taste. But nonetheless, it was a great dish to prepare for a summer afternoon meal.

Char siu is very versatile as far as incorporating it into dishes. Chopped into fried rice, pillowed in steamed buns, ladled into ramen soup or pho, combined with steamed vegatables, the Chinese BBQ pork will not leave your taste buds wanting more. Man oh man, was that good!

Argentine Hot Dog - CHORIPAN!

2010-07-23T06:25:00.000-05:00

Choripán is the ultimate Argentinian street food. Chori means chorizo while pan means bread. Chorizo is grilled and then split in half, served on a toasty French roll and covered with Chimichurri sauce, simple and basic but blast full of flavor and fun.

Chorizo Argentino is a unique sausage, different from Mexican and Spanish style chorizo. It is made with vino tinto-red wine, whole cloves, head of garlic, pork, beef, bacon, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and its shining feature, pimenton dulce-paprika. Stuffed in hog casing, this sausage is great for grilling.

The chimichurri is a spicy sauce of dried chili, garlic, oil, oregano, vinegar. Like many sauces, everyone has their own style or version of recipes with their own personal ingredients. But whatever your recipe is, you should load it up on the chorizo.

The chimichurri consists of:

2 cups parlsey, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon cumin seed
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup white vinegar

Grill chorizos over direct heat for 20 minutes total, about 10 minutes a side. Grill French roll over direct heat until charred.

Simplicity in its finest moment. Bread, meat and herbs all working together to create huge flavors. The crispy bread adds a crunchy texture to the sandwich. The french roll is the right choice of bread holding the chorizo and sauce well together. The chorizo is seasoned mildly, not very spicy to the taste. It complements well with the sauce. After a big bite, you'll have a river of chimichurri liquid dripping down your chin.

I understand why the Argentians love this sandwich. It pleases the tastebuds and fills the belly. Suitable for the street, it is a quick eat while it could nourish late-night partygoers.I definitely rate this sandwich high and recommend it to everyone. You just have to find Argentian chorizo, it is a hard sausage to discover. I ordered mine from La Tienda.

Usinger Bratwurst - Smoke 'Em for 60

2010-07-20T16:35:00.000-05:00

Another post on Wisconsin bratwurst but I can't help myself, they are so good and I must spread the word!

This time I used Usinger's bratwurst. Usinger's is located in downtown Milwaukee on Old World Third St. It started as a butcher shop in 1880 and has grown into a family-owned sausage-making factory offering everything from bratwurst and hot dogs to blood sausage and head cheese.

Here is their historic television commercial.

I love beer brats like anyone who has had them but smoking the bratwurst over low heat brings a whole new flavor to it. Hence, the self-pinned name Smoke 'Em for 60 Bratwurst. Smoked and cooked for 60 minutes over indirect heat turns the Usingers into snappy, juicy, delectable goodness. Condiments go well with them but they are so flavorfull, it tastes great on an undressed bun.

Usinger's sell their brats fresh in the stores, uncooked and not frozen. The bratwurst are made of finely-grounded lean pork. Oh yeah, real nice!

Prep your grill for indirect heat setup. Use a charcoal basket to keep the charcoal nice and tight together. Pre-soak your wood chips for 30 minutes and drain before using. Place a drip pan on indirect side to protect grill. Place bratwurst on indirect side of grill. I flipped the bratwurst every 10 minutes for a total of 60 minutes grilling time. Add more chips after 30 minutes.

Here are the Usingers after 30 minutes. Color is starting to develop.

The internal temperature was kept between a good smoke temp of 225-250 degrees. After 60 minutes, the bratwurst turned a deep red color. These sausages are packed full of juice and mighty flavor.

Served with my Mom's pasta salad and Milwaukee's condiments, Stadium Secret Sauce, Kopp's Dusseldorf Mustard and Miller High Life beer. These bratwursts are favorites for tailgators all over the state. Top quality sausage scented with the tasty smoke of hickory wood, the smoked Usingers will knock you off your feet. Easy to make but it begs you for your patience. Smoke 'em for 60 minutes and you'll be satisfied at the finish.

Usinger's, America's feinsta wursta!

As the website says:

Usinger's is a one of a kind, nationally recognized family business devoted to the craft of sausage making. Feinschmeckers (gourmets) will discover over 70 varieties of old world sausage. From a better bratwurst to an authentic beerwurst, superior German-style wurst doesn't get any better than Usinger's... producing quality sausage products and providing excellence in customer service since 1880!

Pit Bossin' - North Carolina BBQ

2010-07-18T15:16:00.001-05:00

You could call it Pulled Pork but in North Carolina, it is simply called barbeque. Barbequed pulled pork is part of the Holy Trinity of American BBQ. Born in the Carolinas, pork shoulder is slowly cooked by wood smoke and coals for hours until the meat becomes so tender it can be pulled apart by your fingers. Traditionally, a whole hog was cooked in a pit, "every part of the pig except the squeal."

Barbeque is taken quite serious in the Carolinas. Each region offers it own version on BBQ whether it is differences in sauces, rubs, coleslaw or cuts of meat. One similarity is that hickory wood is used to smoke the meat. It is widely used in the midwest and south as it is a favorite among barbequers.

Pork shoulder, Boston butt, the picnic shoulder, is typically the cut of meat to cook if a whole hog isn't available. It needs to be cooked slow and low for it to become real tender and moist. Find yourself a big pork shoulder, over 5 to 6 lbs. First, start off by getting together a rub to season the meat.

For this barbeque, I used Steven Raichlen's recipe from Barbeque Bible and added a few personal touches.

For the rub:

1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1.5 teaspoons chile powder
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine in a bowl and coat the pork shoulder evenly on all sides. In order for the shoulder to retain its shape, I tied the meat together with some kitchen twine. Cover the meat and place in the refridgerator for as long as you like. I kept mine in the fridge for over a day. Be sure to take meat out for at least an hour before cooking to bring it to room temperature.

This particular cut from the butcher looks like a pork loin to me but nonetheless, it will be tasty no matter how it looks.

Anyway, time to get ready for some barbequing. Start by soaking your hickory wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes. Set up your grill for indirect cooking. Also, place a drip pan half-filled with water under the grate. The pan will catch the drippings from the meat and the water will help keep the meat moist.

The next part of the process is based on personal preference. This is where BBQ can be a heavily debated topic with people having all sorts of opinions, methods, techniques on how to cook the BBQ. No matter what way to go about doing things, you want to finish with great BBQ.

The finished product is when the meat has reached an internal temperature of 190 degrees or more. This is when the pork can be pulled apart and when the bone just falls out. My method was keeping a smoke/heat temperature at and around 200-250 degrees.

I just installed this grill thermometer. It prevents me from having to guess on internal temperature and it makes it easier in general for barbequing. I highly recommend using one if you don't already.

I started with about 15-20 coals in the coal basket preheated from the chimney starter. I added a handful of wood chips. The chips would last about 30-40 minutes. I added chips after each hour of cooking. Resort to only opening the lid to replentish coals or chips as the internal temperature will fall dramatically when the lid is raised.

Here is the pork shoulder after 4 hours. You can see the bark created on the shoulder from the meat. This crunchy outer layer contains a lot of flavor! The drip pan also helps to keep you grill clean too.

I smoked and cooked the shoulder for 8 hours keeping the internal temp at and around 200-250 degrees. At this point, the pork reached an internal temperature of 190 degrees.

The Weber kettle is an amazing grill and very versatile. It really held the temperature at a steady level for 8 hours. I only added a few extra coals during the cooking process. I've wanted a professional smoker in the past but the Weber is good enough for me. I'm so in love with it.

After the pork is done, let it rest for 10-15 minutes under some foil. Honestly, I skipped this step. I spent every minute of the 8 hours in my backyard tending the grill, doing crosswords, listening to my iPod and the baseball game, drinking beers. Huddled in the cloud of pork-scented smoke, my patience was gone, I was so hungry.

Use your fingers or two forks or "bear paws" to rip apart the meat. The aroma is amazing and it is hard to not steal bits of pork to sample. Check out the pink smoke ring and the dark bark. Oh man, that is BBQ!

This is where the Carolina influence comes into play, the sauce. Carolina BBQ sauce is different than Memphis or Kansas City sauce. Its primary base is vinegar instead of heavy, tomato based sauces. Carolina sauce is thinner and more runny.

Apple Cidar vinegar combined with pepper and brown sugar offers a tangy flavor to the pork but damn does it go well together. Here is the Vinegar sauce recipe:

2 cups cidar vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper

Combine all ingredients with 1 1/3 cup water and whisk until sugar and salt dissolve. Place in a squeeze bottle and squirt all over the pulled pork.

This sauce is really superb, really fantastic on smoked pork. The tanginess combines well with tender pork and pairs well with the smoke flavor. All I can really say is that this is perfect, a Heaven-on-Earth food experience. And you know what? We aren't done compiling flavors yet!

Another widely debated topic of Carolina BBQ is the coleslaw. I had to be respectful and take in the entire experience so I wanted to make some slaw from scratch instead of purchasing a container of it. Yeah, it is easy to make and it is something that shouldn't be omitted from a BBQ pulled pork recipe.

Creamy slaw vs Vinegary slaw is a hot debate but this particular Carolina slaw recipe fits perfect with the pulled pork. Serve on top of the pork in the sandwich. The ingredients:

1 head cabbage, fine chop
1 red bell pepper, thinly cut
1 sweet onion, fine chop
1 carrot, grated
1 cup sugar
1 cup apple cidar vinegar
2/3 cup vegatable oil
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Combine sugar, vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper and place on low heat. Stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Pour over vegatables and mix. Cover and refridgerate until cold.

Served with a side of homemade pickled salad of cucumber and radish, North Carolina-style Pulled Pork Sandwich with South Carolina Vinegar Coleslaw.

I would never serve the slaw on the side, it needs to be piled high on top of the pork and sandwiched between a large, toasted roll. I can understand how pulled pork is considered one of the most popular, favorite BBQ dishes. Everything was delicious. The crunch of the bark, cabbage, carrots went perfectly with the tender pork. The best damn sandwich of all time. You may think with a sauce and slaw flavored with vinegar would result in a mouthful of vinegar but it really didn't taste that way. Everything was balanced well together. This is why BBQ is widely debated because much thought, love, passion goes into the creation of it. So many methods to come to this result but Amen, this is the result you want. Something that just blows your mind. Yeah I know it is just food but come on, try it, and you'll know what I am talking about.

BBQ, to me, is more than just the food. It is about slowing down your life, relaxing, hanging out with people you love, taking it easy. To just sit in your backyard on a Saturday and all you have to do is tend the grill, to me, is the American Dream.

Daeji Bulgogi - Korean BBQ

2010-07-16T17:34:00.000-05:00

It has been a summer of barbeque. I love trying all types of regional BBQ whether it is from America or other parts of the world. All cultures have their own version of barbeque and while most have similarities in seasoning or preparation, the differences stand out.

Daeji Bulgogi basically translates to pork fire meat. Thinly sliced pork is grilled over a red hot fire. The pork is flavored and spiced up by a Korean chile paste called gochujang. It provides plenty of kick and makes you sweat big time. A Korean friend of mine gave me a container of gochujang so the first thing that came to mind was to slap it on a big chunk of pork.

On its own, daeji bulgogi (I love the name) is just pork. It is usually not eaten alone, you need to serve it with some bang-it-home additions and side dishes to fully complement the pork. I chose to serve the daeji bulgogi with Tofu Kimchee Stew.

Here is what you need to marinate the pork:

2 lbs pork shoulder, I used pork shoulder steaks, sliced into thin strips/bits
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoon, or heaping spoonful of chile paste, gochujang
4 bulbs of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion
2 green onions
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

The gochujang is the star ingredient in this dish. Visit an Asian market to buy the chile paste. It is a dense, heavy, deep red-colored paste that packs plenty of punch. It is used in many Korean dishes like Bibimbap and soup/stews.

Combine all ingredients and mix together to cover the pork. Place in the refridgerator for a few hours or preferably overnight.

Get the grill ready after the meat is done marinating. Set your grill up for direct or indirect grilling. I like to grill indirect for slow-cooked meat.

I also used a grill tray so I wouldn't lose a piece of pork through the grates. If you use a grill tray, preheat it on the grill for a few minutes before adding the meat.

Grill direct on each side of meat for a minute or two. Remember, the pieces of pork are cut thin so be careful to not overcook them.

I moved the tray over to the indirect side to slow-cooked the pork after the sear. Also, I chose to cook the Kimchee stew on the grill so I needed to make room for my pot.

To utilize the Daeji Bulgogi, I made Tofu Kimchee Stew. Here is what you need to make the stew:

Soft or firm tofu, drained and cubed
One jar of mild or hot kimchee
1 onion, sliced
heaping spoonful of gochujang
water to cover ingredients in pot
handful of daeji bulgogi
salt/pepper to taste

Place pot on stove over medium heat or place on grill over direct. Saute onion in pot with sesame oil until tender. Add rest of the ingredients to pot and cover with water. Simmer until broth is nice and hot. I chose to add the pork after the stew was finished as I didn't want to overcook the pork.

As the pork was resting on the indirect side, the kimchee stew took about 12-15 minutes to cook. Just keep a watchful eye on the pork. Again, I want to make my point about not overcooking the thinly sliced pork. If it gets overcooked, it turns tough and chewy like cardboard and ruins the food experience.

The meat had a good kick to it from the spicy chile paste and the pork shoulder was a good cut to use as it was tender and moist. The pork would taste great over a simple bowl of white steamed rice but really, you need to pump it up a little bit, pack up some big flavors. The tofu kimchee stew was the perfect fit for it.

The kimchee added a good bite to the stew. The cabbage made it nice and crunchy. The gochujang turned the broth into a spicy shade of orange. I added about 2 tablespoons mixed into the stew and it really turned up the heat of the dish but it wasn't too overpowering.

The pork could have been cut into smaller pieces but I thought it tasted perfect with the spices and vegatables. Instead of using white onion, I should have cut up more green onions and garnished the stew with cilantro but otherwise the dish was fantastic.

This dish was quite easy to make and the flavor was off the charts. Impress your friends or make your girlfriend/boyfriend real happy. Just let that orange broth drip down your chin and sweat bead up on your brow. It is all worth the effort.

Home-Cured Pancetta Part II

2010-07-11T18:36:00.000-05:00

Today is the day for me to cut down my pancetta. Click here to read Part I of this experiment. This new experience has been fun, exciting, and nervous. I have never dry-cured any meats before so I was skeptical that I would be successful in my attempt. It has been hanging for three weeks in my basement laundry room. I have been trying to keep the humidity near and around 60 percent. The weather in Milwaukee has been quite humid and muggy lately so the basement is a little warmer than usual.

I have inspected the pancetta everyday for new spots of moldy fuzz. I removed the spots with a brined-soaked towel but I received some great advice from a reader named Sherry to use red wine vinegar. Applying the red wine vinegar on the mold location prevented any new mold to grow in the same spot. I believe it worked quite well. Thank you.

Here is the pancetta after two weeks.

The colors have darkened while the meat became more firm. The top and bottoms ends, however, firmed up passed the point of being edible. The ends can be cut off though for a flat edge.

Here is the pancetta today, three weeks in since being hung to dry.

The pancetta is clearly ready to come down. The top end is rock hard while the rest of the meat is firm to the touch. The colors have seemed to reach its aging look. The aromas of the spices and herbs are still amazing at this point.

I did a final inspection on the cutting board for creeper molds. The green mold can penetrate and travel through the meat but I did not see any evidence of it. I cut off the ends since they dried hard and to give it a nice, cut end.

The cross section looks pretty amazing. I think it looks like I did an okay job at curing the pork belly. The meat has a good red color to it. It doesn't look weak or uncured.

I placed one in plastic wrap and decided to freeze it. The pancetta can be in your freezer for up to 4 months. For easier slicing, it helps to place the meat in the freezer for 30 minutes to make a fine, thin cut.

I'd have to say that I am happy with the results. You shouldn't eat pancetta raw so be sure to cook it up before eating.

For a quick sample, I just fried them up for a bit and garnished with fresh basil from my garden. It was quite salty by itself but then it shouldn't be served on its own either. Pancetta is a great ingredient to add to pasta dishes as well as soups. I could recognize the seasonings very easily. The thyme and cracked pepper were very prominent while the brown sugar created a little sweetness. Pancetta is different from bacon as it is not smoked so bacon really isn't a good substitute for it in dishes.

The only special ingredient to get is the sodium nitrate, the pink salt. After that, most ingredients are in the supermarkets and butcher shops near you. The process requires more time than actual work. And if you can get past the mold and fuzz and not freak out at the sight of it, home-cured pancetta is something any home chef can do.

BBQ Pork Steak & Beans

2010-07-09T11:38:00.000-05:00

Pork steak is a staple of St. Louis-style barbeque. They mainly prepare it in two ways; simmered in a tomato-based sauce and/or slowly cooked and then caramalized. This tender, meaty entree is the centerpiece of many backyard weekend barbeques.

The steak is cut from the pork shoulder/pork butt/picnic arm shoulder. It is a fatty, meaty cut that needs to be cooked slowly to break down the protein to produce a tender, tasty steak.

I decided to grill the steaks over high heat for a quick sear and then add them to the sauce for a slow simmer to achieve a tender, meaty-tomatoey-beany taste. Everything is cooked on the grill which adds a smoky flavor to it.

Before you prep your sauce, you want to start the grill. Fill up the chimney starter and place all the hot coals on one side of the grill for a two-zone fire. You want the direct side piping hot, a one-to-two count with your hand placed over the hot coals.

You can use your favorite barbeque sauce but I prefer to make my own. The sauce ingredients consist of:

40z bottle of tomato ketchup
1 cup apple cidar vinegar
3 to 4 tbl of Worchestershire sauce
28 oz can of baked beans
1 tbl chile powder, garlic powder, cumin
1 tsp celery seed
1/2 chopped, large onion
3 to 4 chopped, pickled Hungarian sweet peppers, you can use jalapenos for extra heat
12 oz beer
hot sauce, to taste

Place a pot on the grill and add your ingredients. I began with the bottle of ketchup, followed by the vinegar, Worchestershire, veggies, spices, beans, and then finishing it with the beer. Mix and combine well.

You want to place the pot on the indirect side of the grill.

Any pot will do as long as it can withstand the heat of the grill. I used an 8 quart size stockpot but a foil pan or a cast iron dutch oven would work well too.

I seasoned my pork steaks with black pepper and garlic salt but you can season it with whatever you prefer. Set the steaks over the high heat and sear each side for about 2 minutes.

After the steaks are seared, nestle them in the simmering sauce and give it a good mix. Coat the steaks with the sauce.

You want a pot that will fit so the grill lid can be closed but if it doesn't, not a big deal. Mine was too large so I kept the grill open. If it does fit with the grill lid on, add some soaked wood chips to the coals to add a layer of smoke flavor to the pork and beans.

You want to grill for about two hours. Mostly, I kept the pot over indirect heat with a the pot lid on but I did place it over the direct heat at times. I did not add coals to the grill so when the high heat lowered to low-medium heat, that is when I placed the pot over the direct side. Just pay attention to the heat and your sauce and you'll be fine. Give the sauce a good stir now and then while tasting it for flavor and heat.

After two hours the pork and beans should be done. The beer prevents the sauce from becoming too thick so you should have a nice, balanced ,consistent sauce. It shouldn't be watery like a broth. The steaks won't be cooked down like pulled pork but should be tender and easy to cut with a knife.

Served with cole slaw (sorry, not homemade....) and cold beer, this backyard BBQ dish was certainly rewarding. The pork and beans were extremely tender and tasty. My sauce had some sweet flavors in it which paired well with the vinegary cole slaw. The aroma was classic barbeque.

Of course, any choice of beer is recommended. I went the cheap route with Miller High Life Light. Lately, I have been drinking costly Microbrew beers so the "champagne of beers" quenched my thirst just fine.

BBQ Pork & Beans is an easy, classic backyard entree to cook and prepare. You just need some time in the day for slow-and-low cooking.

Jamaican Jerk Rib Tips with Rice and Peas

2010-06-30T19:54:00.001-05:00

This post was inspired by a fellow Chicago food blogger, Smokin' Chokin' and Chowing with the King.

The posts on his travels to Jamaica and his Jerk Pork recipes looked very tasty so I wanted to give it a try. You can read his posts on Jerk Pork here and here.

I used the rib tips from spare ribs. They are full of meat with little bone tips. Slowly-smoked over a low heat for hours produces a great tasting rib tip.

You can make your own Jerk seasoning but if you don't have the time, I recommend Walkerswood Jerk Seasoning/Marinade.

Jerk seasoning is known for its use of allspice or pimento as it is called in Jamaica and scotch bonnet peppers. It also contains nutmeg, thyme, garlic, cinnamon, and other spices. Jerk is primarily used with pork and chicken.

You want to marinade the rib tips for about a day in the refridgerator. Make sure to rub the marinade all over the pork for even seasoning.

After marinating, you want to prepare the grill. Set the coals up on one side and place of foil pan half-filled with water on the other side for indirect grilling. Once the coals are hot, place a few handfuls of your choice of wood chips. Place the rib tips over the foil pans on the indirect side.

You want to smoke the rib tips between 2-4 hours. Mine were done around 3 hours where it hit 160 degrees of internal meat temperature.

Keep adding wood chips and pay attention to your valves to keep a low internal grill temperature. Chibbqking uses a bottle of whole allspice berries spread over the coals and wood chips to infuse its scent into the meat. I didn't have any whole allspice berries but I imagine that would be a good step to add to the process.

After the rib tips are done on the grill, let them rest for a bit. The smoke creates a nice outer layer of bark and a crispiness flavored by the jerk seasonings.

Get out a large, heavy knife and chop away at the rib tips. There will be little pieces of rib tip bones. Just hack through them or if you prefer, cut around them.

My dream of having a machete or a large meat cleaver haven't come true yet but those tools would be perfect to chop through the bones and meat.

Jamaican rice and peas are a popular side dish for jerk chicken or pork. Peas, however, are not the peas you may be thinking about. They call their red kidney beans...peas. To prepare the rice and peas, you'll need:

1 can red kidney beans
1 can coconut milk
2 cups of rice
3 scallions
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
one scotch bonnet pepper or habenero/jalapeno
water

Add milk and water to make 4 cups. Place the liquid in a pot combined with the beans, scallion, garlic, and thyme. Bring to a boil and then add the rice. Reduce heat to low setting. Place pepper on top of rice but do not pierce the pepper. You want to add a subtle pepper flavor. Cover and cook until rice is done, about 22-24 minutes.

Combine the chopped rib tips with the rice and peas. To make the experience more Jamaican, serve with Red Stripe, a popular Jamaican lager.

I have to say, all the flavors went well together. A truly, tasty Jamaican meal. The smoky flavor of the pork combined with the jerk seasoning was balanced well with the rice and peas. There was a little heat from the jerk but not overpowering. The lager did a great job washing it all down.

The rib tips were quite meaty while containing nice bits of fat. I have to give a lot of credit to the Smokin' Chokin' and Chowing with the King food blog for introducing me to jerk rib tips. The preparation is not too much to handle and the smoking process doesn't take all day. It is an easy meal to prepare and the results are really satisfying.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin is far off from Negril, Jamaica but this dish brought me a little closer. Thanks chibbqking!

Home-Cured Pancetta Part I

2010-06-27T23:56:00.000-05:00

Purchasing the book, Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn has opened a lot of culinary doors that I would have never opened without the book. I highly recommend it to those to want to improve and challenge themselves in the world of aging/curing meats.

I've tried a few recipes and all have been satisfactory. I will make my own fresh bacon from now on because of their recipe and that experience influenced me to try curing pancetta.

Pancetta, Italian bacon, is similar to fresh bacon where it comes from the pork belly. Cured with salt and seasonings, rolled into a log, it is hung to dry for several weeks. It does not involve smoking but you do need to cook it after it has been cured. It is unlike salami where it is ready to eat after curing.

Pancetta can be used like bacon in dishes but it has its own distinct flavor which separates itself from bacon.

Begin by trimming the belly of its outer skin and clean up its edges so it is nice and square.

Next, combine all the seasonings for the cure. The dry cure consists of:

4 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tsp pink salt
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 tbs dark brown sugar
4 tbs ground black pepper, 2 tbs reserved
2 tbs crushed juniper berries
4 crumbled bay leaves
1 tsp grated nutmeg
4 springs fresh thyme

Evenly distribute the ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Rub the mixture all over the pork belly.

The smell of the dry cure is amazing. Like fresh bacon, place the pork belly in a Ziploc bag and refrigerated for 7 days. Flip the belly over every other day and redistribute the seasonings by rubbing it.

After a week, check it for firmness. If it is firm at its thickest point, the pork belly is cured.

Remove from bag and rinse it thoroughly under cold water and pat dry. Sprinkle the meat side with the reserved 2 tbs black pepper. Starting from the long side, roll the pork belly up tightly trying to avoid any air pockets inside the roll. Tie tightly with butcher's twine every 1 to 2 inches.

This process took me a few times to get it right. It does take some practice. I added a few extra tied loops to secure it better. Now it is ready to be hung.

Hang the pancetta in a cool, humid place. Ruhlman stated that 50 to 60 degrees with 60% humidity is ideal but that a cool, humid basements works just fine. I hung mine in the basement.

Pancetta can be hung to dry for 2 weeks but the more time you dry it, the more flavors intensify. I chose to hang it for three weeks. Check it daily for firmness. If it gets too hard that means it is drying out and you must wrap it and refridgerate it. It should be firm but pliable, not rock hard.

Here is the pancetta after one week.

The colors are darkening yet the pancetta is still firm and not hard. But something else has developed, mold. This is getting me a little nervous. Some types of mold are not harmful but Ruhlman's rule of thumb regarding mold is that fuzzy mold, no matter the color, is bad, as is any mold that is not white.

Here are some photos of my pancetta mold. I'm sorry that they look unappealing. Some are fuzzy and some are not. I have no idea if this is a non-harmful mold or bad mold.

This section of the pancetta has me worried. Right by the cross section of the twine appears to be green fuzzy mold. This type of mold can damage the interior and to be cautious, Ruhlman recommends to throw away the meat.

You can see the speckled white mold on the top of the pancetta. This to me appears to be the 'good' mold which prevents bad mold from growing.

I am not very experienced in drying meats and sausages and at this point, I am not sure what to do. Ruhlman suggested wiping down the pancetta with a clean cloth that has been soaked in a brining liquid.

I cleaned off the moldy areas and it looks better but I am not sure if cleaning it recified the problem. I will continue to monitor it daily and clean it if need be. I have two more weeks of drying to do so I'll see what happens.

If anyone has dried meats or sausages and has some helpful tips, please let me know. Thank you. Stay tuned to Part II of Home-Cured Pancetta.

Midwestern Ribs

2010-06-27T18:43:00.003-05:00

Saturday was a perfect day to smoke some ribs. I had a full day to prepare it and I was hosting a celebration for a friend's recent engagement. The rain stayed away so it was great to just hang out in the backyard and tend the grill.

I call them Midwestern Ribs because I used a St. Louis-style cut of Spare Ribs combined with a Kansas City-style BBQ sauce. The K.C sauce is classic for having a solid base of tomatoes as opposed to Carolina sauces which are heavy in vinegar flavor. The St. Louis-style cut of spare ribs is known by the removal of the brisket and/or ribs tips. I believe I left some of the tips on one of the ribs though.

My Kansas City-style sauce consisted of:

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup salt
2 tbs garlic salt
1 tbs onion salt
1.5 tsp celery salt
1/4 cup paprika, any kind you prefer
1 tbs chile powder
1 tbs. freshly ground black pepper
1.5 tsp rubbed dried sage
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp cayenne
Pinch ground cloves

Combine all the ingredients and mix to a fine consistency for a dry rub.

Prep your spare ribs by removing the membrane or silverskin that covers the ribs. Also, you want to trim off the skirt on the bone side of the ribs. It is a loose flap piece of meat. Trim any other bits of fat. Then apply dry rub all over the ribs, front and back side.

After applying the dry rub, cover the ribs in foil and place in the refridgerator for at least an hour. While the ribs marinate, prepare the sauce. My sauce consists of:

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs yellow mustard
1 tbs chile powder
1.5 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbs honey
2 cups tomato ketchup, I added a little bit of tomato paste as well

Combine ingredients into a sauce pan and cook over low heat for 20-30 minutes. Stir to mix ingredients and to dissolve spices.

Time to prep the grill. Here is my makeshift grill station. Start the charcoal in the chimney starter. I started with 50 briquettes. Let them burn until they are a soft white and place into grill. You also want to soak your wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes. Another important note; get those beers cold in a cooler near your station!

A good set up for smoking your ribs is to place the coals on one side for indirect grilling. Place a foil pan that is 2/3 full of water next the the coals. Place your ribs on a rib rack over the foil pan. Spread wood chips over hot coals.

I forgot to cut my ribs into half slabs in order to fit them in the rib rack. I did so after about an hour of smoking. The foil pan is key because the ribs will be dripping of fat and it protects your grill from getting all messy.

Lots of smoking going on. You want to place the vents over the ribs so the smoke will travel through them. Now I smoked these ribs without a grill thermometer and I know they come highly recommended in order to achieve a slow, steady internal grill temp. Many wouldn't grill without one. It is the key for long smokes at a low level. Spare ribs contain a lot of meat and need to cook over a long period of time and at a low temperature. A grill thermometer makes it much easier. If you don't have one, you need to adjust the vents to lower the internal temperature.

Here are the ribs after several hours. I only added a few briquettes of charcoal once during the time to maintain heat and added wood chips throughout the process to continue the smoke. The ribs will tell you when they are done. The meat shrinks back from the bone and when you can easily remove the bone from the meat. Ideally, ribs should smoke for 5-6 hours at a temperature of 225-250 degrees.

The ribs turn black from the smoke. They looked like they are charred or burnt but indeed they are not. The outer layer is called bark. The smoke creates a crispy bark that is flavored from your dry rub. It tastes so good.

You want to apply the sauce within the last 30 minutes of the grilling. Slop it on both sides of the ribs.

When the ribs are done, it is important to let them rest for at least 30 minutes up to an hour. Wrap them tightly in foil. You can also add more sauce to the ribs at this point.

While the ribs were resting, I grilled some corn on the cob, a great side for ribs. I soaked them in the stalks for over an hour. Grill on all sides for about 30-40 minutes.

Served with grilled corn, potato salad, and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, here are my Midwestern Ribs!

The ribs lived up to what I expected. The meat separated nicely from the bone and the smoke flavor really enchanced the all-around great taste of the ribs. The rub and sauce had a little bite to it but not too much heat. The ribs must have been good because my friends and me weren't really talking during the consumption of the ribs. We were just slamming them down.

There is a lot of preparation that goes into smoking ribs but I think it is all easy work. You just have to watch the grill and pay attention to the heat. It is a perfect thing to do when all your work is done and you have a free day to celebrate with family and friends.

Self-Indulgent Chef's Snack

2010-06-24T13:07:00.000-05:00

When I am cooking and preparing food, I like to leave some scraps on the side and make a little chef's snack or treat. Usually it is trimmings of meat or scraps of fat that I will season and toss in the pan for some quick, tasty bites.

Last week, I prepared a pork belly for an upcoming post on Home-Cure Pancetta and I trimmed the edges for a clean square of belly. I don't like throwing away bits and pieces so I saved an edge of the pork belly. For a self-indulgent lunch, I decided to use my homemade bacon and wrap and tie it to the saved pork belly scrap.

Yes I know, some may think of it as over-indulgence in pork, fat, salt, sodium, etc....I see it more as an exciting experiment of pork on pork, a true intoxication of pork.

Seasoned with black pepper, I wrapped the belly with bacon and sloppily tied it together. I browned the meat in a cast-iron skillet for about a minute a side while I preheated the oven at 425 degrees.

I roasted it in the oven for about 15 minutes at or around the temperature of 425. I basted the pork belly with soy sauce (more salt/sodium) afterward and garnished it with fresh sage leaves from my garden.

I'd say the pork belly was well cooked. I guessed right on oven temperature and time. The salt from the bacon seasoned the belly well. Next time, I would omit the soy sauce and accompany it with something that would pair well with the bacon, perhaps a guacamole or salsa. The sage leaves gave it a nice herbal balance.

I'm not sure if you would see Bacon-Wrapped Pork Belly on any restaurant's menu but it fits well for home cooks who like to experiment or who simply like pork. I've seen recipes for "pork bombs" and bacon-wrapped "insert cut of pork here," and they all seem to be fun and tasty. This entree fits right into that category.

I would normally recommend serving with a beer but I have to work yet today so no beer with lunch!

Winning a Dog's Heart with Ears

2010-06-15T08:34:00.000-05:00

My brother and his wife acquired a dog from the Humane Society a few years ago. Since first introduction, the dog is very weary around me. So I thought if I make her some good eats, she may come around to me and we could be friends.

I had some pig ears in my fridge and those seemed like a suitable treat for the dog.

I'll be honest, these don't look to appealing to me, hence, I'm making them for the dog. Sure, I've seen pig ears being cooked and served on the tele and it looked good but I haven't looked for a recipe I like.

I boiled the ears in a pot for 30 minutes to tender them up a bit. The smell wasn't too great by the way.

After boiling, I cut the ears into little strips. Again, the smell isn't good. Smells like what you would think a pig ear smells like after it was boiled.

At this point, the ear is real rubbery and chewy so I wanted to crisp it up a bit for the dog, trying to match pork rinds that pet shops sell for dogs.

I set up a large cast iron skillet and heated up some oil. It is a good idea to prepare this food outside as it is smelly and the frying can be a bit messy.

The pig ears crisped up real nice. They were starting to look edible to me. And I totally thought that the dog was going to love these crispy pig ears.

I allowed the ears to cool down a bit after frying. I sampled one topped with some salt and pepper and although it was crunchy, it was void of any flavor. For me, no thanks, but for the dog, I thought it could work.

My brother's dog arrived at the house and I greeted her with a fried crispy ear. I knelt down and she gingerly crept up to me. Her nose was sniffing the whole time as she neared the pig ear. She snatched it from my hand it and was chewed in seconds flat. Success! Not quite so....

She is still scared and distrustworthy of me. oh well, she enjoyed the pig ears at least.

Cali Burgers - Pork Drunk style

2010-06-14T14:01:00.000-05:00

As you all know, summer time is grilling time. Burgers on the grill are a large part of it. Beef burgers are good but I had to incorporate pork into the dish. My favorite burger is the California style, avocados piled high on a juicy burger sandwiched in a toasty bun.

The creaminess of the avocado pairs well with a nice charred burger. I put a little spin on the California version here at Pork Drunk and spiced it up.

Chipotles, adobo sauce, and garlic are mixed into ground pork to create the burger. The toppings are mashed avocados, cilantro, and sliced tomatillos. Melted muenster cheese rounds out the flavor.

The minced chipotle peppers along with a few teaspoons of adobo sauce give it a good heat but not too over-powering. The muenster cheese, a great melting cheese, and the mashed avocados bring the creamy texture while they temper the spicy chipotles. Clipped cilantro from my garden gave it a nice fresh taste to it. The tomatillos added a slight sweetness as well.

I grilled the burgers over a real low flame, probably cooked for a half hour or longer. The slow-grilled pork fat really flavored the burger resulting in a juicy, moist experience.

It is such an easy recipe and preparation, I don't see how any backyard summer griller could mess it up.

Serve with many beers and choice of side(s).